Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Executive Summary
parts of Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Human impacts on these reefs are steadily increasing
but still concentrated at a few sites per country, mainly around the capital cities and in
lagoons. However, most reefs are still healthy with few real problems, except for some
over-fishing for subsistence and small-scale commercial activities. Most reefs are protected
by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, which both dilutes nutrient and toxic pollution and
removes sediments. Recent political instability in the Solomon Islands and Fiji, has delayed
conservation efforts for coral reefs e.g. the special marine science unit of the University of
the South Pacific, and the ICLARM aquaculture centre have moved off the Solomon Islands
awaiting developments. An active coral reef monitoring network is being established at the
University of the South Pacific in Suva and in smaller campuses in other countries, but most
nations lack the capacity to implement long-term monitoring. Most nations have not
declared key areas as marine protected areas, and have little capacity for integrated coral
reef management.
Southeast Pacific
This region also escaped major climate related coral bleaching in 1997-98 and 2000, such
that most of the reefs remain healthy with few anthropogenic threats. Similar to other areas
in the Pacific, most human impacts are concentrated around the major centres of
population and within enclosed lagoons. Considerable shoreline modification on these
islands has resulted in damage to the nearshore reefs, but the outer reefs facing the ocean
show no real impacts. Fishing pressures are increasing, threatening some coral reefs, and
there are increasing conflicts between fishers and tourist operators. Integrated management
planning is needed to improve the design, location and management of tourist resorts and
to manage the rapid growth of the black pearl culture in some lagoons of the Cook Islands
and French Polynesia. While there has been active coral reef monitoring in French Polynesia,
such efforts are only beginning in the other countries. The whole region will benefit from a
programme of training and monitoring at the marine station on Moorea with assistance from France.
Northeast (American) Pacific
This region contains the bulk of coral reefs under US control with 2 distinct regions: the
main islands of Hawaii; and scattered islands and atolls throughout the Pacific. Strong
population and economic growth in the Hawaiian islands is resulting in considerable local
damage to reefs around the major centres and tourist operations, whereas all reefs are
subjected to high and increasing fishing pressures from both indigenous and tourist fishers.
Collecting for the aquarium trade has cause major depletion of stocks of high value species.
There are currently active measures to monitor the reefs throughout the main islands, and
plans are being developed for considerably improved management of coral reef resources,
however, local development pressures will make it difficult to achieve a target of 20% of
areas under protection. In contrast, the scattered islands are under minimal anthropogenic
pressures and none experienced climate related bleaching in 1998. The prognosis for these
reefs into the immediate future is good, and it would be considerably enhanced by a
greater awareness of sustainable management by policy makers.
The American Caribbean
The increase in activity catalysed by the formation of the US Coral Reef Task Force means
that awareness has been raised in the islands of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to
overcome serious problems of over-fishing and damage to coastal nursery areas of
13