Resilience Assessment of Coral Reefs Rapid assessment protocol
for coral reefs, focusing on coral bleaching and thermal stress
Coral reefs and their associated seagrass beds and mangrove
habitats support the highest marine biodiversity in the world.
More than 500 million people worldwide depend on them for food,
storm protection, jobs, and recreation. Their resources and
services are worth an estimated 375 billion dollars each year,
yet they cover less than one percent of the Earth’s surface.
Unfortunately, many of the world’s coral reefs have been
degraded, mainly due to human activities. According to the
Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2004, 70% of the worlds’
coral reefs are threatened or destroyed, 20% of those are
damaged beyond repair, and within the Caribbean alone, many
coral reefs have lost 80% of coral species. Climate change is
now recognized as one of the greatest threats to coral reefs
worldwide. While a changing climate brings many challenges to
coral reefs, one of the most serious and immed