Coral reefs

ISSUES

Coral reefs can be found in more than a 100 countries and cover 112,000 to 4 million km2 depending on whether we consider reefs in the strict sense of the word or if we also include the lagoons they surround. The Great Barrier Reef (Australia) is the world’s largest coral reef system (350,000 km2). France has 55,000 km2 of them spread out over its 3 surrounding oceans, Indonesia has 51,020 km2, and the Philippines 25,000 km2.
These ecosystems protect the coasts from erosion caused by waves, serve as nurseries for young fish (particularly fringing reefs, which are the most threatened), and are a source of protein for local populations. They generate work and are the main source of support for small-scale fishing and tourism. In warm waters, 70% of coral reefs are threatened by climate change as well as direct effects of human activity: sewage and land runoff, tourist boats and diving, material removal and fishing practices.
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NEWS

Sorry, most of the news are only available in French language for the moment.

FRANCE - PARIS - La goélette océanographique Tara, partie le 4 septembre 2009 de Lorient pour un extraordinaire voyage...

BANGLADESH - Bangladesh has ordered a building freeze on its lone coral island in a bid to save its wildlife and natural beauty from...

FRANCE - PARIS - Pas besoin d'aller sous les tropiques pour voir des coraux. Dans le Golfe de Gascogne, des coraux se...

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DEBATES

Coral Reef Emergency and Copenhagen

Pavan Sukhdev

One is a “flow” problem : too much GHG flowing into the atmosphere due to human activities. If this is not stopped it will cause...

Healthy reefs hit hardest by warmer temperatures

CHAPEL HILL – Coral disease outbreaks hit hardest in the...

2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Corals and Marine Life Listed

For the first time in history, the IUCN Red List of...

FOCUS

Ocean acidification

The increase in the terrestrial atmosphere’s carbon dioxide levels causes a chemical change in oceans. This consequence is often neglected. Not only are oceans warming up, they are also absorbing gases from the...

VIDEOS

23/12/2009	Jean-Pierre Quignard, professor in Ichtyology, tells us about the...	12/06/2009	Le WWF et d’autres association, par exemple la Surfriders Fondation,...
25/05/2009	Les Maldives sont menacées par le changement climatique, notamment la...	05/03/2009	Conséquence du réchauffement climatique, des populations toujours plus...

GREEN TIPS

Rescuing coral reefs

The « Biorock » technology for the preservation of coral species developed by Wolf Hilbertz and Thomas Goreau...

INDICATORS

Biocapacity
National biodiversity index
Threatened ecosystems
Protected areas

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