Coral Reef Travel

Even though coral reefs cover less than .2% of the ocean floor, it is estimated that coral reefs contain approximately 25% of the ocean’s species. Almost 5,000 species of reef fish have been identified, and more than 2,500 species of coral, of which almost 1,000 are reef-building hard coral.

DID YOU KNOW? The calcium carbonate from the sand, shells, and coral maintains the pH balance in the ocean which in turn maintains life as we know it.

Here’s what coral reefs do for us:

• provide shorelines with protection by breaking waves,
• serve as nurseries for growing fish,
• supply a protein source in coastal people’s diets,
• give food, shelter and protection to a variety of marine species,
• provide jobs through fishing and tourism,
• serve as a source of medicine against a variety of illnesses,
• give us a wondrous underwater world to study and enjoy.

Here’s what we do to coral reefs:

• pollute them with sewage, oil spills, fertilizers and pesticides,
• fish them in destructive ways (overfishing, chemicals, damaging gear and anchors),
• mine them with explosive devises,
• smother them with silt resulting from logging, land use and development,
• ground boats on them,
• drop anchors on them, step on them, drag dive gear over them,
• chop them down for tacky jewelry and coffee table curios.

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