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| Coastal Watershed FactsheetsCoral Reefs and Your Coastal WatershedUnited StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgencyOffice of Water(4504F) EPA 842-F-98-008July 1998 
oral reefs are amongthe world's richest ecosystems, second only to tropical rain forests inplant and animal diversity. However, they are extremely sensitive environmentsthat have special temperature, salinity, light, oxygen, and nutrientrequirements. If environmental conditions fall outside the acceptable range ofthese requirements, the health and dynamics of a coral reef community can beseverely disrupted. That's why coral communities are sensitive indicatorsof water quality and the ecological health of the coastal watershed. Theyrespond to alterations within the entire coastal watershed, such as changes infreshwater flows and nutrient inputs. Consequently, pollution from thedestruction and alteration of surrounding coastal watersheds can directlyaffect the health and productivity of a coral reef.

**What Are Coral Reefs and What Do They Do?**Coral reef ecosystems are unique, biologically diverse systems recognized asvaluable economic and environmental resources. Many people think coral reefsare made of plants or rocks, but they are actually made of animals! A coralpolyp is a delicate, limestone-secreting animal. The limestone serves as askeleton that either is embedded within the living tissue of the coral orencloses the animal. A coral reef is made up of colonies of these coral polyps.There are several benefits of coral reefs.
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- Coral reefs are an important recreational and aesthetic resource for peoplevisiting or living in coastal areas. People use coral reefs for fishing,underwater photography, scuba diving, and snorkeling.     
- Coral reefs provide protection for harbors and beaches, which are oftenfound behind reefs because the reefs provide natural protection from heavy waveaction caused by coastal storms.     
- Coral reefs are home to a number of species of fish and other marinespecies, including many that we rely on for food and economic purposes.     
- Coral reefs also serve as a laboratory for students and scientists to studyand learn about complex ecological and biological processes. In addition, thereefs yield many biological treasures that are increasingly being recognized asnatural sources of biomedical chemicals.

**Some Impacts on Coral Reefs**Coral reef habitats are extremely sensitive to disturbances, such as variousforms of pollution and physical contact. Pollution of coastal watersheds posesa threat to the existence of coral reefs. Impacts can result from activitiesoccurring near the reef itself or from areas within the coastal watershed thatdrain to the reef. Disturbances and pollution can lead to diseases in coralsuch as bleaching (when the algae that give corals their color die). Naturaloccurrences, such as hurricanes, can adversely impact coral reefs throughhigh-energy storm surges and the resulting resuspension of sediment. However,reefs are usually able to recover from natural disturbances.

*People* using the reef can have an adverse impact on reef resources.Portions of a coral reef can be broken by the impact of boat anchors and boatgroundings. Divers and snorkelers can harm the reef by simply touching it or byremoving the corals. Suntan oil from swimmers and snorkelers can harm or evenkill sensitive corals. Dragging hooks, fishing line, and nets across the coralreef, as well as placing and recovering lobster traps on reefs, can bedamaging. Overfishing also harms coral reefs by removing important species thateat the algae growing on corals. When these fish species are removed, the algaeovergrow the corals, smothering them. 

*Marine debris*, trash floating on the ocean or resting on the oceanfloor, comes from many sources, including boaters, divers, improper disposal oftrash on land, storm water runoff to rivers and streams, ships and othervessels, and offshore oil platforms. Marine debris can harm fish species andother aquatic organisms that use the reef. Trash that lands on the reef cankill corals by continually rubbing against it or smothering it.

An excessive amount of *nutrients* from improperly treated sewage,atmospheric deposition, agricultural and urban runoff, and cleaning productshigh in phosphates can harm coral reef habitats. In excess levels, nutrientsoverstimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae. When nutrient levelsincrease, the delicate balance that exists between corals and algae isdestroyed and the algae can overgrow the corals. When this situation isprolonged, the corals are smothered and die beneath the algal carpet. This, inturn, affects the fish and other aquatic organisms using the area, leading to adecrease in animal and plant diversity and affecting use of the water forfishing and swimming.

Some of the leading causes of nearshore coral decline can be related to*land development* and nearshore construction that are not environmentallysensitive. Sediment, silt, and other suspended solids wash off plowed fields,construction and logging sites, urban areas, strip-mined land, and erodedstream banks when it rains. Increases in coastal sediment are also caused byconstruction of seawalls, docks, and marinas; land-clearing; boats runningthrough shallow waters, disturbing and suspending silts with their propellers;and snorkelers and divers kicking up sediment. Sediment can block sunlight thatis essential for the survival of some corals, which live in a very closerelationship with microscopic plants (algae) that require sunlight to survive.In addition, heavy sedimentation can bury corals, inhibiting their growth orkilling them.

*Pathogens* are disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses,bacteria, and parasites. Pathogens are harmful to corals, causing disease andscarring in many species. These microorganisms enter water bodies from sourcessuch as: inadequately treated sewage, storm water drains, septic systems,runoff from livestock pens, and boats that discharge sewage.

Coral reefs are vulnerable to the introduction of a wide variety of *toxicsubstances*, including metals (such as mercury and lead), toxic organicchemicals (such as PCBs and dioxin), pesticides, and herbicides found insources like industrial discharges, urban and agricultural runoff, miningactivities, and runoff from landfills. Some toxic substances bind to sedimentand are transported to coastal waters through sedimentation. These toxicsubstances can cause scarring, death, or reproductive failure in fish,shellfish, and other marine organisms. In addition, they can accumulate in fishtissue, leading to fish consumption advisories. The sensitivity of corals makesthem especially vulnerable to the introduction of toxic substances.

**What Is EPA Doing to Protect Coral Reefs?*****International Coral Reef Initiative***

-- In 1994, EPA, along with the State Department, the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, and the Department of the Interior, formed aninternational coalition to coordinate information and bring higher visibilityto the need for coral reef ecosystem preservation. The coalition became the*International Coral Reef Initiative* (ICRI), which now includes amembership of more than 90 countries.

***EPA's Watershed Approach***-- EPA has joined with others topromote the Watershed Approach nationally as a means to further restore andmaintain the physical, chemical, and biological quality of our nation'swaters, including coral reefs. By addressing issues on a watershed scale, thoseareas that pose the greatest risk to human and ecological health can betargeted, several pollutants can be addressed at one time, the public can beinvolved in cleaning up the environment and protecting coral habitats, andintegrated solutions for environmental protection can be considered. This isparticularly important given the  contribution of activities andsources of pollution within the larger watershed to the decline of coral reefs.Through the Watershed Approach, integrated coastal zone management tools andwatershed concepts can be applied in the development of comprehensivemanagement and conservation plans. The Watershed Approach aims to determineprotective approaches for controlling identified stressors to coral reefecosystems. EPA's *Coastal Watershed Protection Strategy*specifically provides technical assistance and support to priority coastalwatersheds, such as *National Estuary Programs* (NEPs) and other coastalwaters identified by states.

***Other EPA Programs***-- In assisting coastal states with thedevelopment of their *Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs*, EPAand other federal agencies developed guidance specifying management measuresfor sources of nonpoint pollution (diffuse runoff of pollutants) in coastalwaters. In its program, a state or territory describes how it will implementnonpoint source pollution controls. EPA also works with other federal agenciesto protect human health and coral reefs by reducing marine debris. The effortsinclude the establishment of the *National Marine Debris MonitoringProgram*, which looks at the origins and amounts of marine debris depositedalong U.S. coasts. EPA and the Coast Guard work together to regulate thetransportation of municipal and commercial waste on vessels and to issueregulations for the manufacture, maintenance, and efficiency of marinesanitation devices (boat toilets), as well as the establishment of “nodischarge zones” for vessel sewage. EPA also regulates the discharge ofpollutants from facilities into sensitive marine waters. EPA assists states inthe development of *water quality standards* designed to protect humanhealth and aquatic life. This assistance includes the development of criteriafor water quality that accurately reflects the most up-to-date scientificknowledge about the effects of pollutants on aquatic life, such as corals, andhuman health.

**What Can You Do to Help Protect Coral Reefs?**You can do several things to help protect coral reefs and your coastalwatershed:
- *Be informed and involved.*  Learn about coral reefs and theirimportance to your coastal watershed. Participate in training or educationalprograms that focus on reef ecology. Be an informed consumer; ask the storeowner or manager from what country the coral was taken and whether that countryhas a management plan to ensure that the harvest was legal and sustainable overtime. Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves. Becomea citizen volunteer. As a volunteer you might be involved in taking waterquality measurements, tracking the progress of protection and restorationprojects, or reporting special events like fish kills and storm damage.Volunteer for a reef cleanup or a beach cleanup. If you don't live near acoast, get involved in your local watershed program. Report dumping or otherillegal activities.       
- *Take responsibility for your own backyard.*  Determine whetheradditional nutrients or pesticides are needed before you apply them, and lookfor alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides where the chance of runoff intosurface waters might occur. Even if you live far from a coral reef ecosystem,these products might ultimately affect the waters that support coral. Considerselecting plants and grasses with low maintenance requirements. Water your lawnconservatively; the less water you use, the less runoff will eventually findits way into the oceans.     
- *Practice good housekeeping.*  Learn about procedures fordisposing of harmful household wastes so they do not end up in sewage treatmentplants that can't treat them or in landfills not designed to receivehazardous materials. Around the house, keep litter, pet waste, leaves, andgrass clippings out of street gutters and storm drains to prevent theirentrance into streams that might flow to reefs. Use the minimum amount of waterneeded when you wash your car to prevent waste and runoff. Never dump anyhousehold, automotive, or gardening wastes into a storm drain. They might endup on the reef. Take used motor oil, paints, and other hazardous householdmaterials to proper collection sites such as approved service stations ordesignated landfills. Always follow label directions for the use and disposalof household chemicals. Keep your septic tank in good working order. Theimproper disposal of wastes and hazardous materials can lead to water qualityproblems and harm to the sensitive coral reef habitats.     
- *Respect the reef.*  Help keep the reef healthy by followinglocal guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs. If you dive,don't touch the coral. Keep your fins, gear, and hands away from thecoral since this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coralanimals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coralsand smother them. Avoid entering sensitive habitat areas with your boat orother motorized watercraft. Maintain your boat engine to prevent oil and gasleaks. Keep all waste produced during your excursions in a safe place to bedisposed of properly when you're back on land. If you go boating near acoral reef, don't anchor your boat on the reef. Use mooring buoy systemsif they are available. Maintain and use your marine sanitation devicesproperly. Conserve energy and keep your auto in good running condition. Byconserving energy, harmful air emissions leading to air deposition areminimized.
**For additional information...**
Call EPA's Oceans and Coastal Protection Division at (202)566-1200.

Also visit the following EPA web sites:
- **Oceans and CoastalProtection**
- **Coral Reefs**

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