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Yellowtail Snapper in the Florida Keys. Click the image for a larger view and more information.
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Coral reefs are vital to the nations where they occur, and to those nations that rely on the
resources coral reefs provide.
Reefs provide a huge economic benefit: recreation and commercial fishing on coral
reefs generate billions of dollars each year for local economies. 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 2004 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. But even more importantly, coral reefs host some of the highest
biodiversity on the planet -- around a million species depend on the reefs for survival.
Coral reefs are a critical but threatened ecosystem. To learn more about some of the amazing benefits coral reefs provide worldwide, visit the NOAA
National Ocean Service pages here,
here,
here, and
here.
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