Coral Reefs

Posted by Earth Stats On May - 21 - 2009

Coral Reef7,600 - Estimated square miles covered by shallow-water coral reefs in the United States

375 billion - Estimated annual amount in goods and services coral reef ecosystems provide worldwide

500 million - Number of people worldwide that depend on coral reefs for food, income, and resources

50% - Amount of federally managed commercial fish species that need coral reefs for at least part of their life cycle

67% - Percent of reef fish species overfished in U.S. waters of the south Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean

90-96% - Percent of nearshore coral species killed by white band disease in the 1990s

>2,000 - Number of coral species listed under CITES

United States - The world’s largest importer of ornamental coral reef resources

$360 million - Estimated amount of money generated by coral reefs for recreation per year in Hawaii

33% - Percent of all marine fish species that call coral reefs home

6 million - The metric tons of seafood harvested annually from coral reef fisheries

0.2% - The amount of ocean area covered by tropical coral reefs

Data: U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. Final Report. 2004

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Biologist, wildlife advocate, conservationist and simply captivated by marine life. Currently working to complete a full life's circle balancing work, life and a desire to spark worldwide wildlife preservation...and now bringing you the numbers and stats about our planet and its inhabitants. That's me, so check out the site and take a peek at "About The Site" page.

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