NOAA Report States Half of U.S. Coral Reefs In “Poor” or “Fair” Condition
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Nearly half of U.S. coral reef ecosystems are considered to be in “poor” or “fair” condition according to a new NOAA analysis of the health of coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction.

The report issued today, The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008, says that the nation’s coral reef ecosystems, particularly those adjacent to populated areas, continue to face intense human-derived threats from coastal development, fishing, sedimentation and recreational use. Even the most remote reefs are subject to threats such as marine debris, illegal fishing and climate-related effects of coral bleaching, disease and ocean acidification.

The report was released by NOAA at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. More than 270 scientist and managers working throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, the Atlantic and Pacific authored the 15 jurisdiction-specific chapters of the report. The scientists graded the coral ecosystems on a five tier scale: excellent, good, fair, poor and unknown.

+ Download in sections (PDFs) or as full report (PDF; 65.4 MB). (Also available as smaller, zipped file.)

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