The Weedy Sea Dragon is the only species belonging to the Phyllopteryx genus. This fish species is a close relative of the seahorse and the Leafy Sea Dragon. It is found in different states of Australia.
NOAA is working to understand and address key threats to coral reef ecosystems: the impacts from global climate change, unsustainable fishing practices and pollution. The top threats to coral reefs â global climate change, unsustainable fishing and land-based pollution â are all due to human activities. These threats, combined with others such as tropical storms, disease outbreaks, vessel damage, marine debris and invasive species, exacerbate each other.
This in turn has impacts on the rest of the marine ecosystem, such as the increased growth of algae and threats to coral reef health. Overfishing is also closely tied to bycatch, another serious marine threat that causes the needless loss of billions of fish, along with marine turtles and cetaceans.