Coral Mining
There are many people who are not aware of the long term impacts of coral mining. Often times coral will be sold as souvenirs to tourists, with businesses disregarding the negatvie impact on the environment in order to make a profit. Coral is mined also to supply construction materials and is sometimes used as brick or road-fill (4). Calcium is taken from coral and used as a medical supplement. There are alternate materials to use other than coral, and it is shocking that coral mining is still going on when so little coral is left in the entire world.
Sedimentation
Mining, logging, and farming all contribute to sedimentation. The waste materials from these processes gets released into rivers and ends up in the ocean at some point in time. Those materials can clog and smother coral reefs. Mangrove forests are especially good at trapping in excess materials, but with the destruction of mangrove forests, it becomes harder and harder for coral reefs to avoid getting smothered by blockage of the sun.
Global Warming and Climate Change
http://blog.conservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/indonesia-bleached-coral.jpg
Coral reefs are very sensitive to light, water temperature, and salinity of water. As more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the air, the more heat is trapped in by the atmosphere. As a result, the global seawater temperature has risen along with the overall temperature. This temperature influx has made it harder for sea coral to surive. Also, as climate change occurs, weather patterns are becoming more and more unpredictable, so storms and odd weather patterns in the wrong time of the year have contributed to the destruction of coral reefs.
Carbon dioxide has also contributed to ocean acidification. As more carbon dioxide is absorbed into the ocean, the salninity of the water becomes more acidic, and seeing as coral can only survive within a certain window of acidity, much coral is dying off because of high acidity levels.
As the Ozone layer in the stratosphere grows weaker and the ozone hole opens up, more UV radiation is let in through the atmosphere. Too much UV radiation can kill coral.
25% of all marine species call coral reefs their home (5). Who are humans to take their precious lives and homes away from them?