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    Biodiversity - Coastal and Oceanic Ecosystems - Coral Reefs
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Introduction

Coral reefs are the most diverse, productive and vulnerable of marine communities. Although they only cover 0.2 per cent of the world's marine area, it is estimated that they harbour between one and nine million different species (Bryant et al., 1998). In Mexico, three coral reefs areas are clearly recognized: the Pacific coast, including Baja California and the Revillagigedo Islands; parts of the coast of Veracruz and Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico; and the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, from Contoy Island to Xcalak, including the Banco Chinchorro atoll (Spalding et al., 2001). As in other parts of the world, Mexican reefs provide numerous environmental goods and services to the population, ranging from food and building materials to coastal protection against storms surges and hurricanes, in addition to their role as breeding and nursery sites of many commercially important fishery species (Bryant et al., 1998; Burke et al., 2000; NOAA, 2001; Ahmed et al., 2004). However, human activities have severely damaged these ecosystems. Population growth in coastal areas, tourism, overexploitation of fisheries and global climate change are among the major threats (Gardner et al. 2003). The loss or degradation of coral reefs may affect human life in the future as fisheries’ production and coastal protection would decrease; a large variety of wild species would be lost; and revenues from tourism in coastal areas would likely decrease significantly.

 

 

References

Ahmed, M., C.K. Chong, y H. Cesar. Economic valuation and policy priorities for sustainable management of coral reefs. Worldfish center. Penang, Malasia. 2004.

Bryant, D., L. Burke, J. McManus y M. Spalding. Reefs at rIsk. A Map–Based Indicator of Threats to the World’s Coral Reefs. WRI, ICLARM, WCMC y UNEP. U.S.A. 1998.

Burke, L., Y. Kura, K. Kassem, C. Revenga, M. y D. McAllister. Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems. Coastal Ecosystems. WRI. Washington, D. C. 2000.

Gardner, T.A., I.M. Côté, J.A. Gill, A. Grant and y A.R. Watkinson. Long-term region-wide declines in Caribbean corals. Science 301: 958-960. 2003.

NOAA. Oil spills in Coral Reefs: Planning and Response Considerations. U.S.A. 2001.

Spalding, M. D., C. Ravilious y E. P. Green. World Atlas of Coral Reefs. World Conservation Monitoring Centre-UNEP. University of California Press. Berkeley. USA. 2001.