Hidden beneath the ocean waters, coral reefs teem with life. Fish, corals, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles are only a few of the thousands of creatures that rely on reefs for their survival.

Coral reefs are also living museums and reflect thousands of years of history. Many U.S. coral reefs were alive and thriving centuries before the European colonization of the nearby shores. Some reefs are even older than our old-growth redwood forests. They are an integral part of many cultures and our natural heritage.

Today, these important habitats are threatened by a range of human activities. Many of the world’s reefs have already been destroyed or severely damaged by water pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing practices, disease, global climate change, and ship groundings. However, we can still protect and preserve our remaining reefs by acting now.

For more information on coral reef ecosystems and the habitat reefs provide for fish, plants and animals, see the following links:

NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Essays. Coral reefs are complex, biologically diverse ecosystems. Countless studies, books and papers have been devoted to exploring and understanding the nature of these unique marine environments. These essays discuss some of the most important aspects of coral reefs. www.coris.noaa.gov/about.

National Marine Sanctuaries - Coral Reef Habitat. These pages focus on the scientific and science-to-management aspects of natural reef resources and management in the National Marine Sanctuaries. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/coralimpacts.html.

The Coral Reef Alliance: About Coral Reefs. This page explains in straightforward terms, how the reef structure forms, different types of reefs, and reef biology. It also describes how corals eat and reproduce, how long they live, and what they need to survive. http://www.coralreefalliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=72

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument was created by Presidential proclamation on June 15, 2006. A portion of the Monument was previously know as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve; the Reserve was created by Executive Order in December 2000 and was established to conserve and protect the coral reef ecosystem and related natural and cultural resources in the region. http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov.

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