Coral Reefs Reduce Wave Impact on Coastlines by 97 Percent

Coral reefs are going to be crucial in the future--especially as climate change impacts weather systems. Now, scientists have found just how crucial they are. They've discovered that these reefs reduce the wave energy that would otherwise impact coastlines by 97 percent.

"Coral reefs serve as an effective first line of defense to incoming waves, storms and rising seas," said Michael Beck, one of the researchers, in a news release. "200 million people across more than 80 nations are at risk if coral reefs are not protected and restored."

Currently, coral reefs are facing the impacts of climate change themselves. Ocean acidification, which occurs when carbon dioxide mixes with seawater and causes it to become more acidic, can actually eat away at the calcium carbonate of coral structures. In addition, warmer ocean temperatures can cause coral bleaching, which is when corals release their zooxanthellae, which help with photosynthesis. If the corals can't recover their zooxanthellae, then they eventually die.

"Coral reefs are wonderful natural features that, when healthy, can provide comparable wave reduction benefits to many artificial coastal defenses and adapt to sea-level rise," said Curt Storlazzi, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This research shows that coral reef restoration can be a cost-effective way to decrease the hazards coastal communities face due to the combination of storms and sea-level rise."

In fact, the researchers found that there are 197 million people worldwide who can receive risk reduction benefits from coral reefs alone. The researchers also point out that this means that conservation efforts should be targeted at reefs that are closer to populations of people instead of in remote areas.

"While there are many concerns about the future of coral reefs in the face of climate change, there are still many reasons for optimism about the future of coral reefs particularly if we manage other local stressors such as pollution and development," said Fiorenza Micheli, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.