Financially and biologically...
- Counting only the economic value of fisheries, tourism, and shoreline protection, the costs of destroying 1km of coral reef ranges between US$137,000-1,200,000 over a 25-year period
- Properly managed coral reefs can yield an average of 15 tonnes of fish and other seafood per square kilometre each year
- Southeast Asia's coral reef fisheries alone are estimated to yield US$ 2.4 billion annually
- More than 80% of the world's shallow reefs are severely over-fished
- 32 of the 34 recognised animal Phyla are found on coral reefs compared to 9 Phyla in tropical rainforests
- Occupying less than one quarter of 1% of the marine environment, coral reefs are home to more than 25% of all known marine fish species
- 58% of the world's coral reefs are potentially threatened by human activity
- Coral reefs are found in 109 countries; significant reef degradation has occurred in 93
- From 1876-1979 only three bleaching events were recorded, whereas 60 are on record from 1980 until 1993; in 2002 more than 400 events were recorded
- We have already lost 27% of the world's coral reefs. If present rates of destruction are allowed to continue, 60% of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed over the next 30 years
- More than 450 million people live within 60 kilometres of coral reefs, with the majority directly or indirectly deriving food and income from them
- The total economic value of Indonesia 's reefs is estimated at US$1.6 billion annually
- The total economic value of Philippine reefs is estimated at US$1.1 billion annually
- Coral reefs in the Malacca Straits have an economic value of US$563 million
- Southeast Asia is considered the global epicentre of marine diversity. Its 100,000km2 of coral reefs (34% of the world's total) are home to over 600 of the 800 reef-building coral species in the world
- Indonesia and the Philippines hold 77% of Southeast Asia's coral reefs and nearly 80% of threatened reefs