World Atlas of Coral Reefs
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Slide 3 of 15
- Reefs fringe many continental and island coastlines. During storms and hurricanes they buffer the coastline and prevent massive erosion by waves.
- Reefs sand has formed most of the world’s valuable tourist beaches, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and across the Pacific.
- Countless islands, and several entire nations are formed entirely by coral reefs, with coral islands reaching only 2-3m above sea level - e.g. Maldives (map), Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tokelau. These are entirely dependent on living reef structures for their continued existence.
- UNEP-WCMC has developed the most extensive map of coral reefs in existence, enabling an assessment of their distribution and importance in many areas.
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URL: http://www.unep-wcmc.org /marine/coralatlas/presspack/present/sld003.htm
Revision date: 05 March 2002 | Current date: 16 May 2008 |
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