Coral reefs are valuable assets to local and national economies.
They provide fisheries and other foods, materials for new medicines, and income and jobs from tourism and recreation. They also protect coastal communities from storms. Coral reefs are being degraded and destroyed worldwide. The rapid decline of these ancient, complex and productive marine ecosystems has significant social, economic and environmental impacts on coastal communities in the U.S. and around the world. The 12 sanctuaries conserve, protect, and enhance the biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy of the nation's marine environment.