The National Coral Reef Institute

Why Care About Coral Reefs? Coral reefs are among the largest, most beautiful living structures on Earth. These diverse ecosystems support a vast array of organisms that depend on the reefs for habitat, food, and shelter. They provide physical barriers to coastal erosion and protection from storm waves and tsunamis. In addition to being an important economic resource, reefs are homes for commercially and recreationally important fish species and are a recreational locale for diving and tourism activities. In South Florida alone, coral reefs have been estimated to have an annual use value of more than $6 billion and create 71,000 jobs. Coral reefs are threatened worldwide by a host of natural and human-induced factors, such as ■ ship and anchor groundings ■ excessive runoff and sedimentation ■ coastal construction ■ overfishing and destructive fishing practices ■ tropical hurricanes and cyclones ■ diseases ■ oil and other pollution ■ invasive species such as the lionfish ■ ocean warming and coral bleaching ■ ocean acidification NCRI’s management-oriented research provides solid information and products to help understand, manage, and conserve these invaluable assets for generations to come. Why Care About Coral Reefs? 7