"SeaWeb" news and stories

For most seafood eaters, the connection between healthy coral reefs and what's on their dinner plate is pretty much non-existent. Consider coral, and things like jewelry, souvenirs, or home aquarium tank decorations come to mind first. But scientists warn they're worth significantly more alive and healthy than they are as fancy wall hangings for your guestroom.

Coral reefs make up only one percent of the vast ocean floor, but support 25 to 33 percent of all marine life, and provide important habitat and nursery grounds for many fish, including some favorites like grouper and red snapper. Coral is also used in medicines, it provides income through tourism, and protects fragile fine sand beaches from storm damage. And while coral may look like just a rock or a plant, they are actually formed by tiny colonies of animals called coral polyps, whose skeletons form the coral we recognize.

But serious pressure from the jewelry and home-decorating trade, damage done by unsustainable fishing practices, and climate change (which is contributing to ocean acidification), means their continued survival is in serious question, and has some scientists sounding alarm bells, including dire warnings of severe hunger for coastal populations and political instability should coral reef declines continue.