If you want to see the pretty coral and obtain food from the seas, then protect the mangroves. The reef is an amazing interdependent system of living organisms. Each creature has its place and, as we saw, corals actually act for the betterment of the entire by sharing food and contributing to the growth of the reef itself. Much of what was once a virgin underwater jungle has been exploited to the point of nearly complete destruction. Longtail boats take tourist to beautiful beaches then drop their anchor directly on the coral.
Souvenir collecting tourists then forage for goodies to take home.
Run-off from hotels disperse tons of chemicals and waste into reefs. Various damaging fishing methods such as dynamiting and poisoning have destroyed more than just the fish population. Vast areas of brightly colored coral have all but disappeared from many reefs. It is possible for a reef to return . However, if the original causes of the reef's destruction are still taking place, there is little likelihood that a healthy reef will return.