These underwater ocean meadows support a wide variety of commercially valuable species of fish and shellfish. D. Hinrichsen Coasts along the Philippine island of Negros suffer from erosion caused by rising seas and poor land-use practices. Over half of the world's coastlines face environmental degradation from population growth and development. Coral Reefs Development activities are destroying most of the world's coral reefs. Coral reefs are being buried by sediment washed off the land, poisoned by industrial and agricultural chemicals, reduced to rubble by fishermen using dynamite, damaged by boat anchors and careless divers, excavated for use as building material, and bleached white by warming ocean temperatures.
Coral reefs provide humankind with many benefits.
Reefs support upwards of 1 million species. They provide feeding, breeding, and nursery areas for fish and shellfish and offer humanity a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines. They buffer waves and protect shorelines from storms. In 1997 a global effort to assess the status of coral resources was carried out by Reef Check, organized by Hong Kong University. The study engaged professional and recreational divers to chart the health of 300 coral reefs in 30 countries.