Coral reefs become more and more stressed by several influences. These influences can be natural as well as human.

With the increasing global human population, more and more people will rely on coral reefs as a natural resource to support their livelihoods. Unfortunately, the interaction between humans and reef ecosystems is not always sustainable. As the population continues to grow, these influences will become more and more severe. This will lead to economic losses which will be especially worrisome for the local economies in developing countries.

The following interactive image shows the main threats to coral reefs. Slide with the mouse over the image and click on the different parts to get to know more about each threat.