Coral Reef Fund

Coral reefs—and the related mangrove forests and seagrass beds—are at once among the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystems on earth, and among the most threatened. Extremely sensitive to water quality and temperature changes, their complex structures and species relationships are vulnerable to a wide array of immediate threats from human activities. With the ever-increasing human development of the world's coastal regions, few of the world's coral reefs are not currently at risk—some estimates claim that over 25% are already gone, and another 25% could die off in the next 20 years. There are dozens of great organizations out in the field working to protect and promote healthy reefs, and providing them with the resources they need is one of our top priorities.

The purpose of The Ocean Foundation's Coral Reef Fund is to bring new resources and value to coral reef conservation by finding partners on both sides of the funding table, doing independent research and strategic assessments of projects, and acting as an honest broker with invested communities and constituencies.

Coral reefs are limestone structures produced by living organisms, found mostly in shallow, tropical seas with comparatively little to no nutrients in the water. On most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals—symbiotic colonial animals that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate. The accumulation of this skeletal material, broken and piled up by wave action and bioeroders, produces a massive calcareous formation that supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life. Along with rain forests, wetlands and estuaries, healthy coral reefs contain some of the most abundant biodiversity of any ecosystem on earth.

Healthy coral reef systems are critical to coastal communities around the globe—for economic, ecological, social and cultural reasons. Fringing reefs serve as sea walls, preventing coastal erosion and storm damage. Divers and other visitors attracted by the majesty of coral reefs can bring in millions of dollars annually to communities with struggling economies. Hundreds of millions of people depend on healthy reef systems for the fish they need to survive. Additionally, a number of reef species contain compounds that can prove useful to the development of new drugs. Some estimates cite the economic value of the earth's coral reef systems at more than US$300 billion.

Humans have had a widespread and dramatic impact on coral reef ecosystems. Upstream clear-cutting has led to erosion, which has smothered reefs near tributary rivers and streams. Overfishing and the use of damaging fishing methods—including trawling, explosives and poisons—have greatly reduced productivity. Nutrients, sewage and other pollutants cause algal blooms that stifle and smother corals. Unregulated global markets for aquarium fish, coral jewelry, exotic food fish and reef-related curios put tremendous pressures on already struggling ecosystems; just like the black market for terrestrial exotic species, these trades often specifically target the rarest and slowest growing fish, corals and crustaceans. In some parts of the world, the reef itself is mined and dredged so that concrete can be made from the limestone. All of these impacts dramatically degrade the biodiversity and resilience of coral reef systems.

However, global climate change represents the single most significant overarching threat to the long-term survival of coral reef ecosystems. A slight increase in water temperature can lead to so-called "bleaching" events during regional climate changes such as El Nino. Also, because coral reef systems are very sensitive to water depth, sea level rise can prevent photosynthesis in key species. Species that have evolved to thrive in limited ranges of water temperature, salinity and clarity often have difficulty adjusting to variable conditions. The changing climate is also affecting the chemistry of the ocean itself—as it becomes increasingly acidic, many corals will be unable to produce the limestone exoskeletons they need to survive.