Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Executive Summary
management and monitoring via coordination from St. Lucia and assistance from the
regional office of UNEP. Coral cover on some islands has dropped recently due to the
passage of Hurricanes and coral bleaching e.g. on St. Lucia, cover declined from 50% to
25% at 3m depth and from 35% to 17% at 10m.
South America
Reefs in this region were seriously degraded throughout the 1980s and early 1990s due to a
range of natural and anthropogenic stresses. Throughout this time the major natural stress
has been repeated coral bleaching episodes with cumulative mortalities, however, there
were only minor impacts during the 1997-98 bleaching event on both Pacific and
Caribbean reefs. The major anthropogenic stresses are from increased sediment and
nutrient pollution on the nearshore reefs because of deforestation, poor agricultural
practices and diversion of rivers. Offshore reefs are being increasingly over-exploited for
fisheries, coral rock and sand, resulting in distinct declines of coral cover and fish
populations. There is strong capacity and apparent willingness to monitor reefs in the
region, with the exception of Brazil, which is yet to establish a national monitoring
programme. The countries are now cooperating within a regional node of the GCRMN to
introduce monitoring in some countries and enhance it in others. As noted in other
regions, obtaining funding for monitoring at both national and regional levels is a major
challenge (especially in Columbia).
REEFS AS MODELS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Where do we go from here? Coral reefs should be regarded as ideal models for the
management and conservation of marine ecosystems, and possibly other ecosystems. Many
coral reefs are degrading from stresses that can be managed, moreover reefs are often
discrete entities with water barriers between them, and the land or other major
ecosystems. In addition, many reefs are sufficiently remote from land to receive only
marginal impacts from land based pollution and exploitation. Therefore many of those
reefs that are being degraded by human activities would befit from to holistic and
integrated approaches to ecosystem management and conservation.
There is almost no other ecosystem that has the ‘charismatic appeal’ of coral reefs and they
are clearly high on the public agenda for systems for conservation. It is difficult to pass a
week without seeing a television documentary or an educational film on coral reefs.
Importantly, there are no large economic or political concerns directly lobbying against
coral reef conservation. In contrast, the massive tourism and transport industries are strongly
in favour of coral reef conservation, because reef-based tourism is the fastest growing
sector of the ecotourism and activity holiday market. Reef fisheries are generally subsistence
or small scale commercial operations, except for cyanide fishing for the live fish trade
which is conservatively estimated to be worth US$1 billion per year through Hong Kong.
Major operators in the aquarium trade are actively working to make this ‘fishing’ industry
sustainable, supported by most hobbyists who prefer ‘green labelled’ products.
Reefs are also strategically important. There are more than 20 countries in the United Nations
with few natural resources other than coral reefs; and another 70 countries or states have
substantial areas of ecologically and economically important coral reefs. These states exert
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