Coral Polyps in Peril in Paradise [with Video]

Home to nearly one-third of the world’s coral reefs and more than 3,000 species of fish, the Coral Triangle — encompassing a swath of ocean from central Southeast Asia to the western Pacific — is threatened by destructive fishing, coastal development and pollution. In fact, a report by the World Resources Institute and the USAID-funded Coral Triangle Support Partnership found that more than 85 percent of its reefs are threatened by human activities.

The report, “Reefs at Risk Revisited in the Coral Triangle,” also notes the effects of chemical and climate changes in the ocean. Almost all the reefs in the Coral Triangle are projected to be threatened by 2030 because of ocean warming and acidification. About 130 million people depend on the reef’s natural resources in this vital region.

“The degradation of reefs can have widespread effects on people who depend on them,” said Katie Reytar, research associate at WRI. “Food and nutrition, through fisheries, is one of the most important services that reefs provide.”

Despite these alarming numbers, there is still hope for ensuring the health of Coral Triangle reefs.

The governments of six countries that make up this region — Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste — formed the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) in 2009.

“The CTI-CFF is an important collaboration between governments,” says Reytar, “and a big step in the right direction toward improving reef management and coastal policy in the region.”

The educational video above, Polyps in Peril, is narrated by Celine Cousteau and animated by Sherman’s Lagoon cartoonist Jim Toomey