Ratcheting down the coral reefs

BioScience, November, 2004 by Charles Birkeland

Coral reefs are continuing to deteriorate around the world, despite millions of dollars' worth of government effort per year, the commitment of more than 450 nongovernmental organizations, and a long list of successful accomplishments. Researchers and managers must become more aware of positive feedback, including the self-reinforcing ecological, technological, economic, cultural and conceptual processes that accelerate the degradation of coral reefs. Much of the research on coral reef damage has focused on its proximal causes (e.g., global warming, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, and disease) rather than its ultimate causes, the increasing human population and associated economic demands. To stop the deterioration of coral reef...