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.
Few people recognize how important reefs are.
In Indonesia, for example, less than half of respondents surveyed in 2000 viewed coral reefs as a marine resource. In urban areas less than one-third of respondents knew that coral reefs were declining.