Are coral reefs condemned to disappear? During the first decade of the 21st century, the intensification of cyclones, the phenomenon of coral bleaching due to ocean warming, outbreaks of a coral-eating starfish, coral diseases, dynamite and cyanide fishing, illegal trafficking/poaching of exclusive coral left us with this fear. Since 1997, the “Year of the Reef”, global awareness of the importance of our marine heritage has not lead to a decrease of threats to coral reefs and their aquatic ecosystems. In terms of addressing knowledge gaps, coral reefs are a priority because of their extraordinarily high biological richness and the multitude of products and ecosystem services they provide to human beings. Back in 1993, marine scientologists estimated that 10 percent of the world’s reefs were dead, and that 30 percent were likely to die within 10 to 20 years. So, what is the status and legal regime of coral reefs nowadays?

A team of scientists from the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) (led by Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland) has assessed the measures needed to avoid permanent extensive loss of living reef ecosystems. An increasing number of ocean regions have reported extensive coral bleaching - whitening and death of corals due to extreme temperatures – over recent months. The greenhouse gas emission reduction pledges submitted to Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP21) in Paris in 2015 fall well short of what is required to avoid this biodiversity catastrophe. The conclusions of the team (checked by a larger panel of specialists) were that if average global surface temperatures increase by 2°C or more, relative to the pre-industrial period, the resultant ocean warming, along with acidification, will lead to continued widespread destruction of coral reef ecosystems over the next few decades.

For instance, the island of Mauritius is bracing itself for a double threat to its coral reef -- climate change and the El Nino effect, which could hit the Indian Ocean later this year. Conservationists say an increase in sea temperature could cause coral bleaching, killing its underwater paradise. Another example is the coral in the Florida Keys; the ocean temperature there is 2 degrees warmer that was recorded only a few decades ago and is creating stress on the coral (see picture below).

The United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (Montego Bay, 10 December 1982) (UNCLOS) is the primary convention regarding the use of the ocean and its resources. Because most reef formations are limited to waters less than 50 m depth, they tend to occur in near-shore waters; this places the majority of coral reefs within countries’ internal waters and exclusive jurisdiction. States, in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on protection and preservation of the marine environment (Part XII), commit themselves, in accordance with their policies, priorities and resources, to prevent, reduce and control degradation of the marine environment so as to maintain and improve its life-support and productive capacities.

•  37 Years later: revisiting a Red Sea long-term monitoring site;
• High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean;
• Coral community responses to declining water quality: Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.