ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Coral reefs protect our coasts — and our wallets

Acting as soon as possible is best -- both for the corals, and ourselves.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
June 13, 2018
in Environment, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Coral reefs do a great job of protecting not only the environment, but also the coasts and our economy. Without corals, additional floods would cost a lot of money.

Image credits: NOAA.

When we think about saving the bees, wolves, or corals, it’s not just about protecting the ecosystems — we should also do it for ourselves. All species play their role in ecosystems, but they also offer value to humans, directly or indirectly. These are the so-called environmental services.

Aside from helping maintain some of the richest and most biodiverse ecosystems, coral reefs also act as natural dikes, preventing flooding and coastal erosion. However, we’re already losing some of those services.

“Unfortunately, we are already losing the height and complexity of shallow reefs around the world, so we are likely already seeing increases in flood damages along many tropical coastlines,” said Dr. Michael W. Beck, Lead Marine Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and Research Professor at UC Santa Cruz. “Our national economies are normally only valued by how much we take from nature. For the first time, we can now value what every national economy gains in flood savings by conserving its coral reefs every year.”

Michael Beck and colleagues used flooding models to estimate how much coral reefs contribute to preventing flooding worldwide. They considered flooding for scenarios with and without reefs for four storm events based on the probability that they will occur, calculating the damage they would do with or without the corals.

They found that without corals, damage from floods would double, increasing by $4 billion a year. The costs from frequent storms would triple. If coupled with sea level rise, flooding could quadruple. For the big, once-in-a-hundred-years storms, flood damages could increase by 91% to $US 272 billion. No matter where they looked, researchers found the same thing: corals provide a great deal of environmental services — and without them, we would not only suffer environmental damage, but a lot of economic damage as well.

Of course, not all countries would suffer equally. The countries with the most to gain from reef conservation and restoration are Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, and Cuba. The US would also be a big winner of reef conservation, ranking 8th globally.

“These estimates make a compelling case for present-day spending on reef management without assuming that reefs will disappear altogether under a business as usual scenario – nor do they rely on just rare, large storms. Better valuations of the benefits provided by coastal habitats like coral reefs, provided in terms familiar to decision makers, can help decision makers recognize the value and ensure the protection of these critical habitats and their services,” said Dr. Borja Reguero, a Research Scientist at UC Santa Cruz.

Researchers strongly emphasize the need for active protective measures and regulations — both locally, and internationally.

RelatedPosts

New anti-fragile plastic becomes stronger every time it’s stressed
Invasive species cost the world half a trillion dollars every year
For the first time, physicists measure electron as it jumps from semiconductor. Yes, it’s a big deal!
Tesla’s new solar roof will cost as much as a shingle roof and electricity bill

The study “The global flood protection savings provided by coral reefs” has been published in Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04568-z.

 

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Archaeology

Venice’s Iconic Lion Is Actually a Repurposed Chinese Monster, Scientists Say

byMihai Andrei
12 hours ago
Future

Researchers Transformed Sperm Cells into Tiny, Microbots That Could Deliver Drugs to Hard-to-Reach Places

byMihai Andrei
14 hours ago
Health

Could AI and venom help us fight antibiotic resistance?

byTudor Tarita
20 hours ago
Animals

Orcas Are Attacking Boats Again and We Still Don’t Know Why

byMihai Andrei
1 day ago

Recent news

Venice’s Iconic Lion Is Actually a Repurposed Chinese Monster, Scientists Say

September 5, 2025

Researchers Transformed Sperm Cells into Tiny, Microbots That Could Deliver Drugs to Hard-to-Reach Places

September 5, 2025

Could AI and venom help us fight antibiotic resistance?

September 5, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.