Many countries and communities which are highly dependent on marine harvests or tourism from their coral reefs may be unable to save those reefs from the likely impacts of climate change with their current conservation measures

It is essential that where reefs are at high risk, development strategies do not make local communities or industries more dependent on reef-based resources.

Sustaining coral reefs, along with the goods and services they provide to the people who depend on them, it will require two things – the ability to predict the risk of extreme climate effects, and the ability of the affected human societies to adapt and to change the way they protect and manage their marine environment.

The researchers found that the scale of the threat from climate change varies significantly from place to place – and that some places are more likely to be able to cope or to adapt their management than others.

 

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