In fact, one of our premiere reefs, the Florida Keys Reef tract, is the most-visited coral reef in the world, catering to an average of four million tourists per year and contributing billions in tourist dollars to the State's economy. In addition to their intrinsic beauty and vital ecological and economic functions, coral reefs may hold the key to finding the cures for cancer, AIDS, arthritis and other mentally and physically debilitating conditions. In addition, certain species of reef coral, including Porites and Gorgonian corals, have been used to construct bone grafts for patients requiring maxillofacial and cranial surgery. The values of coral reefs, therefore, are abundant. Unfortunately, a host of man-made stressors are taking a dramatic toll on coral reefs in the U.S. and around the world.
Coral reefs face a menagerie of anthropogenic threats to their survival.
Coral reefs require clean, clear, nutrient-poor waters. Loss of mangroves and other fringing wetlands, which filter pollutants from aquatic systems, exacerbates the problems of sediment, nutrient and toxic pollution runoff. Indeed, these threats sound even more grim when one considers that coastal populations are expected to continue increasing and exact even greater tolls on coral reef ecosystems. These figures closely reflect current and forecasted coastal population estimates within the United States. The scientific community has been raising concerns over this loss of coral reefs within international forums for years.