Explain threats to biodiversity

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With reference to named examples, describe and explain the threats to biodiversity in coral ecosystems.

Coral reefs include some of the most biologically rich ecosystems and are home to over 25% of all known marine fish, despite only occupying 0.18% of the world's marine environments. Coral reefs are useful to us in various ways. A few being that the reefs are good sources of medicine, provide 25% of commercial fish catch and provide ideal habitats for education and scientific research. However the coral reefs are under threat for a number of reasons.

These valuable ecosystems are degrading fast under the pressure of many human activities. For example Coastal development, sedimentation, overfishing, global warming, and marine pollution each pose a threat to coral reefs.

One threat to the Coral Reefs is Overfishing. Fisheries in the Caribbean are often open access with few regulations and the location and distribution of the fish can be highly predictable. This means that the Caribbean Coral reefs are particularly at risk to overfishing. Especially in parts of the Eastern Caribbean as there is often more fisheries competing in a larger area. The traps and fishing line used by