Living Blue Planet Report

Chapter 3: Why we should care page 43

Scenic coastlines,
islands, and coral
reefs offer recreational
opportunities, such as
scuba diving, sea
kayaking and
sailing

Coastal habitats protect coastal

communities and cities

from storms and erosion

Healthy coral reefs are

hotspots of marine

biodiversity and can be a

source for new medicines

and healthcare products

Mangroves and

saltmarshes act

as natural filters, trapping

harmful sediments and

excessive nutrients

Marine ecosystems including

seagrasses, mangroves and

saltmarshes act as carbon sinks,

reducing greenhouse gases

The oceans produce

half the oxygen we

breathe

Sustainable fisheries

provide food, create

jobs, and support

local economies

Estuarine seagrasses and

mangroves provide nursery

habitat for commercially targeted

fish and crustacean species

Offshore reefs create

sand and protect the

shoreline from severe

storms

Offshore energy

provides power to

support coastal

development

Marine natural capital: the Coral Triangle

Nowhere on Earth is richer in marine natural capital than the Coral Triangle, which covers

a vast area of ocean spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea,

Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

One-third of the inhabitants of the Coral Triangle – more than 120 million people

• depend directly on local marine and coastal resources for their income, livelihoods and
  food security, and fish is a major source of protein in local diets (ADB 2014). Fisheries
  exports from Coral Triangle countries in 2011 amounted to 1.7 million tonnes, worth nearly
  US$5.2 billion (FAO FIGIS, 2011). The region also produces almost 30 per cent of the total
  global tuna catch (WCPFC, 2014; IOTC, 2015), with an export value estimated at close to
  US$1 billion (FAO FIGIS, 2011). A lucrative trade in coral reef fish caught and sold live for
  human consumption generates an annual value of US$1 billion (Muldoon, 2015).
  The region also attracts tens of millions of visitors every year. The Pacific Asia Travel
  Association estimates nature-based tourism in Coral Triangle countries is worth US$12
  billion annually, with earnings shared by travel operators, tour guides, hotels, diving
  operations and countless other businesses (Pet-Soede et al., 2011).