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Many coastal communities in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on the resources provided by reefs for their livelihoods. The Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean project is a response to an information need. The primary goal is to raise awareness and improve management by improving the knowledge base on the status of and threats to coral reefs.
A global assessment of coral reefs at risk from overfishing, coastal development and other human activity. The study finds that nearly 60 per cent of the earth's reefs are threatened by human activity - ranging from coastal development and overfishing to inland and marine pollution - leaving much of the world's marine biodiversity at risk. In addition, the report concludes that while reefs provide billions of people and hundreds of countries with food, tourism revenue, coastal protection and new medications for increasingly drug-resistant diseases, they are among the least monitored and protected natural habitats in the world.
During the last decades there has been an increasing evidence of drastic changes in marine ecosystems due to human-induced impacts, especially on benthic ecosystems. The so called “animal forests” are currently showing a dramatic loss of biomass and biodiversity all over the world. These communities are dominated by sessile suspension feeder organisms (such as sponges, corals, gorgonians, bivalves, etc.) that generate three-dimensional structures, similar to the trees in the terrestrial forest. The animal forest provide several ecosystem services such as food, protection and nursery to the associated fauna, playing an important role in the local hydrodynamic and biogeochemical cycles near the sea floor and acting also as carbon sinks. The present book focus its attention on these three dimensional animal structures including, for the first time, all the different types of animal forests of the world in a single volume.
This book opens with case studies of reefs in the Red Sea, Caribbean, Japan, Indian Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef. A section on microbial ecology and physiology describes the symbiotic relations of corals and microbes, and the microbial role in nutrition or bleaching resistance of corals. Coral diseases are covered in the third part. The volume includes 50 color photos of corals and their environments
This book is a visual tour of Caribbean coral reefs between 1968 and 1978. They are the world’s second largest coral reef community and the most threatened. The Caribbean Coral Reef: A Record of an Ecosystem Under Threat offers a priceless historical record made by a photographer who set out to document the major reef species when those reefs were at their prime. Today, coral reefs are under threat as never before and, sadly, most of what is shown in the book's photographs is now gone forever. It is only by comparing the images in this book with what we see now that we are able to fully recognize what we have lost. With its stunning photography and precise, accurate scientific information, this book offers students of coral reefs a wealth of information about this rich, fragile ecosystem. It is also written accessibly for non-academic visitors to the Caribbean reef or anyone interested in the earth’s creatures. Many of the invertebrates will be unfamiliar to most people, and the author reveals fascinating insights into these otherworldly creatures and their lifestyles. Enjoy this field guide to the reefs that were, and savor the beauty of this vanishing environment and its organisms.
"The project focused on land-based threats to coral reefs and developed a series of watershed-based indicators of threat to coastal ecosystems. Many spatial data sets were acquired, integrated and documented as part of this effort. All base GIS data as well as analysis results for Puerto Rico and the USVI have been released on the Coastal Data CD for the US Caribbean, jointly published by WRI and NOAA"--Project overview.
Southeast Asia possesses the mots biologically diverse coral reefs on the planet; and they are severely threatened by human activities. This is a detailed evalution of the threats from over-fishing, pollution, development and more, and makes several recommendations for improved management.
The beauty and drama of a world beneath the surface of the waves This book brings alive the richly diverse world of an underwater paradise: the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Stretching 625 miles through the Caribbean Sea along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, this reef is the second largest coral structure on the planet. Imperiled Reef searches out the breathtaking intricacies of this endangered ecological treasure. Research shows that the future of the reef is at risk, Sheehy explains. Looking closely at threats ranging from global warming to overfishing to irresponsible development, Sheehy draws attention to the inspiring efforts of nongovernmental agencies, scientists, and local communities who are working together to address these challenges. She includes practical actions individuals can take to protect this reef—as well as marine ecosystems everywhere. Celebrating a vast, submerged landscape that has too often been undervalued, Imperiled Reef is both a strong case for protecting an international marvel and a powerful message of hope for the world’s oceans.