Features

• Coral reefs are actually communities of living organisms located along the equator in a band encircling the earth. They are small invertebrates measuring between 1/4 inch and 1 foot. As the coral reproduce the reef grows larger. Each new coral attaches itself to the coral structure and begins to grow, thereby adding to the reef.
  
  

Natural Disasters

• All living organisms are vulnerable to natural stress and threats. Coral is no exception. A reef can be damaged from such natural events as hurricanes. Parts of the reef will generally survive such events and regenerate afterward. The negative effect of this sort of event is generally survivable and the coral resumes its life, continuing to grow. The benefit from these events is the incorporation of a more diverse group of organisms into the reef community.
  
  

Pollution

• Coral does not adapt well to long-term stress. Pollution in the water due to human activities has done a great deal of damage to the reefs. Farming activities are one of the human threats to coral reefs. Run-off from pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides are highly toxic to coral.
  
  

Erosion

• Sedimentary pollution due to erosion from clearing land for building or farming clouds the water threatening the symbiotic relationship between coral and zooxanthellae--algae that live within the coral. The algae must have light for the process of photosynthesis. The coral relies on the algae for some of its nutritional needs.
  
  

Environment

• Environmental stress from raised levels of ultraviolet radiation, salinity changes and increased temperatures can also cause the coral to suffer. When the coral is subjected to these stressers it will sometimes expel or lose the zooxanthellae. If the coral does not recover and the algae does not return bleaching occurs and the coral dies.
  
  Raised levels of carbon dioxide in the ocean have had a detrimental effect on coral by slowing down the growth process. Excess carbon dioxide reduces the coral's calcification abilities. Calcification is the process that each individual coral undergoes in order to grow and form.
  
  

Fishing

• Bottom trawling is the biggest threat to deep-sea coral in areas that the activity is still allowed. Bottom trawling is the dragging of large weighted fishing nets along the sea bottom. The nets destroy coral reef formations. Coral harvesting is also done extensively. Coral is harvested for jewelry and art.
  
  

Conservation

• Conservation efforts are on-going in an attempt to protect coral reef formations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Conservation Program has begun a 20-year strategic effort to address the top three threats to coral reef ecosystems which are climate change impacts, fishing impacts and land pollution.