Coral reefs are the most complex, species-rich and productive marine ecosystems. Reefs cover 0.2% of the oceanŐs area and yet they provide home to one-third of all marine fish species and tens of thousands of other species. Coral reefs provide essential fish habitat, support endangered and threatened species, and harbor protected marine mammals and turtles.
Coral reef fisheries0 yield 6 million metric tons of fish catch annually, with one quarter of the total worldwide fish production in developing countries with coral reefs. On U.S. reefs, over 500 commercially valuable coral reef fishes and invertebrate are under federal management, including four candidate ESA species (Spurgeon 1992; NOAA 1996). Coral reefs provide critical protection to coastlines from storm damage, erosion and flooding by reducing wave action. Coral reefs are crucial sources of income and resources through their role in tourism, fisheries, and building materials as an important source of pharmaceutical compounds. There are associated ecosystems like seagrass beds and Mangroves which are used as nursery areas for juvinel reef fishes and other organisms.