About
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem in our ocean. They occur in more than 100 countries and territories, and whilst they cover less than 1 per cent of the seafloor, they support at least 25 per cent of marine species – harbouring the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally and making them one of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet.
Coral reefs underpin the safety, coastal protection, well-being, food and economic security of hundreds of millions of coastal people in least-developed countries, economies in transition, and small island developing states around the world. The value of goods and services provided by coral reefs, for example from tourism, fisheries, coastal protection or medicinal compounds, is estimated at US$2.7 trillion per year (GCRMN, 2020).
Ecological Status and Trends
Unfortunately, coral reefs are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet to damage from human pressures. The 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate identified coral reefs as the marine ecosystem most at risk from climate change impacts such as warming ocean temperatures or increased severity of storms, coupled with ocean acidification driven by carbon dioxide emissions. Coral reefs are also highly vulnerable to localized impacts from land-based pollution such as nutrients and sediments, marine pollution, and overfishing and destructive fishing practices.
The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network’s ‘Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020’ report, supported by UNEP, paints a picture of four decades of declining coral abundance. It found that multiple coral bleaching events driven by warming temperatures and climate change, coupled with local pressures, caused the loss of 14 per cent of the coral from the world’s coral reefs between 2009 and 2018. This represents the loss of more than all the coral currently living on Australia’s coral reefs.
However, coral reefs have also shown remarkable resilience in many instances and have been shown to have the ability to recover from coral bleaching and mass mortality events if they are protected from other human stressors.
Why Does it Matter?
Coral 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 per cent of coral reefs might disappear by 2050 due to prolonged ocean heatwaves.
The loss of coral reef ecosystems has profound impacts on biodiversity in our ocean, and also the livelihoods and safety of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Ensuring the survival of coral reefs is thus important for the health of our ocean but also for the survival and wellbeing of humanity as a whole.
Take a journey through our interactive series to dive into how humanity can safeguard and restore underwater habitats.
What We Do
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) promotes international cooperation to support the protection, sustainable management and restoration of coral reefs, and related ecosystems such as seagrass meadows and mangrove forests. Working with a diverse group of partners, UNEP provides global leadership in supporting policy development, developing best practice management guidelines, building the scientific evidence base, and supporting on-the-ground conservation action for coral reefs around the world.
UNEP is a key partner and leading agency in the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, the International Coral Reef Initiative, and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network amongst other global initiatives dedicated to coral reefs.
Coral reef protection and restoration is also central to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) which seeks to galvanize efforts to restore degraded and destroyed ecosystems to enhance food security, clean our air, secure freshwater supplies, address the climate crisis and protect habitats that support life on Earth. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) also highlights coral reefs as an ecosystem to inspire advances in science and technology to improve ocean health.
Facts
- Coral reefs cover less than 1 per cent of the seafloor, but they support at least 25 per cent of marine species
- Coral reefs are the most vulnerable marine ecosystem to climate change, and up to 90 per cent of corals could be lost by 2050, even if warming is limited to an increase of 1.5°C.
- The IPCC estimates that up to 99 per cent of coral could be lost with 2°C of warming.
- 14 per cent of the coral from the world’s coral reefs was lost between 2009 and 2018, mostly due to climate change
- The value of goods and services provided by coral reefs is estimated at US$2.7 trillion per year
- Coral reefs are vital to maintaining food supplies and protecting shorelines against waves, storms, and floods particularly in low-lying island nations and small island developing states.
Agreements and Conventions Related to UNEP’s Mandate on Coral Reefs
- United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 4/13 Sustainable Coral Reefs Management
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in Resolution A/RES/71/257 on Oceans and the law of the sea, recognizes the significant economic, social and environmental contributions of coral reefs.
- Global Biodiversity Framework targets and SDG targets which are relevant to and benefit from the conservation of coral reef ecosystems including for resilience and food security.
Related Publications
