IN THE KNOW: World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) website lists these as some of the reasons corals worldwide are being destroyed: Climate change, destructive fishing practices, overfishing, careless tourism, pollution and coral mining.

WWF said while coral reefs “survived tens of thousands of years of natural change” many “may not be able to survive the havoc brought by humankind.”

At least one-fourth of the world’s corals are “already considered damaged beyond repair” and two-thirds are “under serious threat.”

Increasing ocean temperatures as a result of climate change are causing coral bleaching which would increase in frequency and severity in the coming decades.

Destructive fishing methods are contributing to coral destruction.

Corals are being removed from seabeds and used as bricks, ingredients for cement and other materials for construction.

Careless tourism is helping in the destruction as people are allowed to touch corals, drop anchors or, like in the case in Bauan, etch words on them.

Source: wwf.panda.org