Rescue the Reef® :: Endangered Coral Reefs Facts about Coral Reefs information

The Nature Conservancy - Environmental Conservation Organizations, Land Conservation Trust

About Us: The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.


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Rescue the Reef®

Coral reefs are not just precious underwater jewels to admire for their beauty—they're also a refuge for a quarter of the marine species and rich storehouses of biodiversity. The ocean's coral reefs are also the first to signal distress within the marine ecosystem. But they are vanishing at an astonishing rate across the ocean's floor due to several threats including:

destructive fishing

unregulated tourism

"bleaching" from climatic changes

70% of the world's coral reefs will disappear within our lifetimes if the present rate of destruction continues!

Current Project
Each year the Conservancy selects a specific reef habitat to preserve and protect, based on its ecological significance and its proven resilience. The 2003-2004 Rescue the Reef® program is raising funds to preserve and protect The Gulf of Chiriqui, off Coiba Island in Panama.

How You Can Help
Rescue the Reef® is a Nature Conservancy program that has been a pioneer in marine conservation—focusing its efforts on reefs that have proven their resilience in the face of change and then employing conservation strategies that make a substantial and visible difference in the health and long-term viability of the reef.