Dead planet, living planet

Coral reefs cover only 0.2% of the sea floor and yet are amongst

the most productive ecosystems on the planet. Close to shore

and increasing human activity, they are disappearing rapidly.

Nearly a fifth of all coral reefs have already been lost, a figure

that could rise to above one third of all reefs within the next 20

years (Wilkinson, 2008). In addition to the long term and per-

sistent pressures threatening the health of coral reefs, they are

faced with periodic natural events, such as hurricanes, storm

surges and destructive tsunamis.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the region, wiping

out whole communities, as well as infrastructure, of both the

built and natural environment. In the aftermath, the internation-

al community attempted to respond to the many different needs

of the affected countries. The coral reef community, through the

International Coral Reef Initiative and its operational networks

rallied to estimate the scale of the damage and to guide gov-

ernments on the best course of action for sustained recovery

(Wilkinson

et al

, 2006) in areas that depended heavily on their

Too good to be true? The dangers of short cuts to restoration in

coral reefs

coral reefs for the services they provide such as supporting in-

ternational tourism revenue and fisheries, the very things that

underpin the livelihoods of these coastal communities. At a time

where there was great pressure to act fast and rapidly assess

and repair damage, a number of “too good to be true” solutions

arrived on the market claiming to hold the answer to enhance

coral reef recovery. As attractive as these solutions appear (from

artificial reefs, to electric reefs, re-cemented reefs and trans-

plantation) without comprehensive consideration of cost, scale

scientific grounding and relevance these proposals can be inap-

propriate and distract from the principal task of improving man-

agement and reducing the chronic stressors that inhibit natural

regeneration. In response to these concerns, the International

Coral Reef Initiative Resolution developed guidance on artificial

coral reef restoration and rehabilitation as well as assistance to

help implement appropriate restoration of coral reefs.

The full document is available online at

fault/files/ICRI_resolution_Restoration.pdf.

CASE STUDY #33