Why care about coral reefs

When one coral reef becomes too overcome by local stressors, it could affect other coral reefs that are far away. But this connectivity could also save coral reefs: if one coral reef is kept healthy and over time adapts to climate change or other stressor, it could spread those better-adapted traits to other coral reefs through the movement of coral larvae.

The key is keeping coral reefs healthy in the areas where corals are adapting and in the areas where the adapted corals are settling. Reefs also act as a natural barrier, a first line of defense in protecting tropical coasts from storms and floods. As one example, in some areas, coral reefs offered enhanced protection against the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami.

We also are only beginning to explore the range of potential medicines that reef organisms can provide, including cancer treatments, painkillers, sunscreen, and antivirals. Ocean plankton are migrating from tropical waters towards the cooler poles as the earth warms, scientists have found, bringing potentially dire consequences to the food web.

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This is how climate change is redistributing coral reefs After 13 years of research, scientists know how to save the world's coral reefs. What's the World Economic Forum doing about the ocean? Image: National Ocean Service.

As we end our time here in Tonga, I would like to reflect on why coral reefs are important. Who better to tell this story than the Tongans themselves. Coral reefs provide medicine and jobs. People also receive food from the coral reefs and they need this food to survive. They also protect us from storms and large waves. They bring in tourists from around the world to come and snorkel and enjoy our beautiful coral reefs.

As part of the ecosystem, coral is very, very important. It is important in terms of the feeding relationships in the tropic food web.

Without coral there will be a disruption in the ecosystem. Secondly, they add money to our economy because we get jobs from fishing.