Coral bleaching

Ecology

Environmental issues with coral reefs

Habitat destruction

Coral reef

Coral

Ecosystem services

Biology

Resilience of coral reefs

Geography

Fishing

Coral reef protection

Aquaculture of coral

Threatened species

Biodiversity

Habitat

Fishery

Ecosystem

Environmental science

Overfishing

Reef

Coral reef organizations

One Earth

Coral reefs worldwide are facing impacts from climate change, overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. The cumulative effect of these impacts on global capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services is unknown. Here, we evaluate global changes in extent of coral reef habitat, coral reef fishery catches and effort, Indigenous consumption of coral reef fishes, and coral-reef-associated biodiversity. Global coverage of living coral has declined by half since the 1950s. Catches of coral-reef-associated fishes peaked in 2002 and are in decline despite increasing fishing effort, and catch-per-unit effort has decreased by 60% since 1950. At least 63% of coral-reef-associated biodiversity has declined with loss of coral extent. With projected continued degradation of coral reefs and associated loss of biodiversity and fisheries catches, the well-being and sustainable coastal development of human communities that depend on coral reef ecosystem services are threatened.

Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services