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clownfish

CLIMATE
CONNECTION


Protected by a coating of mucus, clownfish seek refuge from predators among the stinging tentacles of sea anenomes.


Close relationships between species will be disrupted as communities adapt to climate change.

 



turtle

AN EXTRAORDINARY GLOBAL RESOURCE

We should work to preserve coral reefs for their beauty, biological importance, and economic value. For many coastal areas, coral provides the main barrier against the worst ravages of storms, hurricanes and typhoons. The reefs break the power of the wave s and prevent coastal erosion, flooding, and loss of property on the shore. This function alone is probably worth billions of dollars a year in terms of money saved in insurance costs and need to build costly coastal defenses. Tourism revenues generated b y coral reefs are also highly significant. For example, tourists visiting the Florida Keys generate at least $800 million in annual income.

We can even expect future medical benefits from chemical compounds found in coral reef species. Anti-viral agents have already been found in sponges growing on reefs, and the hard skeleton of coral itself can be used in place of bone grafts to repair bone fractures in humans. Just as with tropical forests, we may find the answers to medical problems in the coral reefs-so long as we can preserve them and keep them healthy. Unfor-tunately, keeping coral reefs healthy may become more difficult now that the f irst impacts of global warming have been detected, because climate change acts to compound other stresses.

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