We work to protect and restore the world’s coral reefs from the effects of climate change and other impacts from human activity
Coral reefs, found in over 100 countries and territories globally, underpin ocean biodiversity and provide important economic, social, recreational and cultural benefits. Over 800 species of reef building corals create habitats that harbour an estimated 32% of all named marine species, excluding microbes and fungi - 91% of marine species remain undescribed! 37% of fish are associated with tropical reef environments. Recent estimates suggest that more than 90% of coral reef species have not been named and that total reef species numbers exceed 800,000.
This level of diversity is particularly impressive given that reefs only cover about 285,000 km2, which is less than 0.1% of the surface area of the ocean. Coral reefs are also rich with symbiotic relationships amongst species, honed by millions of years of evolution.
Coral reefs benefit an estimated 1 billion people, either directly or indirectly, from the many ecosystem services they provide. Estimates indicate coral reefs provide up to $2.7 trillion per year in services, including providing critical natural infrastructure that protects increasingly vulnerable coastlines from storms and flooding, food security for vulnerable populations, tourism revenue and even raw materials for life-saving medicines.
However, reefs are at the nexus of our triple planetary crises – biodiversity breakdown, climate emergency and rampant pollution resulting from decades of unsustainable production and consumption. Scientists predict that even if global warming is maintained at 1.5ºC, up to 90% of coral reefs might disappear by 2050 due to prolonged ocean heatwaves.
Coral reef protection and restoration is central to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) geared towards the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems to enhance food security, clean our air quality, secure water supply, address the climate crisis and protect habitats that support life on earth as we know it. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) also puts a spotlight on coral reefs to inspire advances in science and technology to improve ocean health.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been promoting international cooperation and evidence to support the protection management and restoration of coral reefs, and related ecosystems such as seagrass and mangroves. UNEP provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
We work with a wide variety of stakeholders and partners that help protect our coral reefs including:
- Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)
- Global Fund for Coral Reefs
- Glowing Glowing Gone Campaign
- Green Fins
- International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)
- Reef World
- Regional Seas Programmes
- The Ocean Agency
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)
This 1 minute video explains the value of coral reefs.
