Impacts of Climate Change on Coral Reefs - The Future of Tourism in Coral Reef Destinations

Apr 25

Coral reefs are renowned for their beauty and diverse array of marine life, making diving and snorkeling in coral reef destinations popular reef-based leisure activities. Fine sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and a diverse fauna of corals and fish are special features of coral reefs. However, their significance extends far beyond aesthetic appeal.

Why Coral Reefs Are Important

Coral reefs are among the most ecologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, offering numerous and significant ecological, economic, and socio-cultural values. Despite covering only 0.2% of the ocean floor, coral reefs harbor an exceptionally high proportion of marine biodiversity, accounting for as much as 25% of it. They provide crucial habitats and serve as important food sources for many marine organisms. But coral reefs are not only valuable for underwater life; they also hold importance for life above water.

The estimated annual value of goods and services provided by coral reefs is US$2.7 trillion. They significantly contribute to coastal protection by reducing wave energy by an average of 97%, thus reducing annual storm damage costs. Millions of people worldwide depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods, as they provide jobs and income, and reef fisheries supply food, essential nutrients, and proteins. Additionally, reef tourism holds high economic value for coral reef destinations. Particularly, countries heavily reliant on tourism possess coral reefs, such as the Maldives, the Bahamas, Palau, and Fiji.

The Loss of Coral Reefs

Since the 1950s, the global population of living corals has declined by 50%, due to anthropogenic influences such as ocean pollution, overfishing, physical damage from coastal development or tourism activities. However, the most significant threat to coral reefs is climate change. The increase in greenhouse gas emissions causes global temperature rise and ocean acidification, endangering coral habitats.

Impacts of Climate Change on Coral Reefs and Tourism

Climate change leads to rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and more frequent and intense storms, all of which have severe impacts on the health and survival of coral reefs. Recurrent coral bleaching events occurring at shorter intervals adversely affect corals in the long term, as they have little time to recover from bleaching, leading to faster mortality. The increase in intense storms leads to physical impacts such as coral breakage. Altered ocean currents affect the connectivity of coral reefs, restricting genetic diversity. The decline of coral reefs also impacts biodiversity. Numerous species lose their habitat, resulting in a loss of biodiversity. The loss of 50% of corals since the 1950s has already led to a loss of 60% of the biodiversity associated with coral reefs.

This results in economic and socio-cultural consequences for people dependent on coral reefs for their livelihoods. Without coral reefs, coastal protection would be compromised, leading to a nearly 70% increase in coastal flooding, and doubling annual flood damage. The loss of coral reefs also leads to economic losses in fisheries and tourism. The livelihoods of millions of people would be affected, access to food sources would deteriorate, and numerous communities would lose their cultural identity and traditions associated with these reefs.

Tourism is significantly affected by coral reef damage, being a primary attraction of many destinations, with a general decrease in attractiveness, satisfaction, and diversity of offerings, resulting in a loss of visitors and negative economic consequences for coral reef destinations.

The Future of Coral Reef Destinations

The future of tourism in coral reef destinations depends on our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the extent to which we can mitigate global warming to preserve coral habitats. The IPCC warns that even if we adhere to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, a significant loss of 70% to 90% of reef-building corals compared to current levels is inevitable. A future for coral reefs and reef tourism could still be envisioned.

However, at a warming of 2°C or more, about 99% of coral reefs would be lost. Coral reef tourism would be severely affected or no longer commercially viable. We are already close to surpassing the 1.5-degree target, posing an alarming probability of losing nearly all coral reefs in the future.

For the future of coral reef destinations, a diversification of the tourism offer is urgently needed in order to protect and preserve existing reefs and to ensure tourism in general in these destinations without coral reef activities. This is the only way to preserve jobs, generate income and secure the livelihoods of local communities and offer tourists alternative activities that are not dependent on functioning coral reefs.

What Can Be Done?

The most crucial measure is the reduction of greenhouse gases worldwide, as it directly addresses the primary cause of climate change. Without reducing emissions, additional measures will not be enough to save our coral reefs. However, additional measures should be taken on top of carbon mitigation to support the protection and restoration of coral reefs:

Expansion of marine protected areas
Reduction of local stressors
Sustainable coastal development
Awareness raising and environmental education
Stricter regulations and laws for coral protection
Reef restoration and coral gardening

To sustain tourism in coral reef destinations considering the scenarios, alternative offerings must be developed, and tourism must be steered towards sustainability to protect remaining reefs. This includes:

Creation or development of artificial reefs (e.g., wrecks, underwater museums)
Expanding offerings based on the natural features and/or cultural values of coral reef destinations, such as windsurfing, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking or cultural attractions
Raising awareness and providing environmental education in reef-based tourism offerings
Promoting sustainable tourism practices

Final Thoughts

The future of tourism coral reef-centric destinations relies on, firstly, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to preserve coral habitats by mitigating global warming. Secondly, prospects hinge on the community's capacity and willingness to innovate and adopt alternative tourism approaches. These measures aim to counter the threat to coral reefs and promote potential growth and regeneration while diversifying the tourism sector's revenue streams, regardless of its dependence on coral reefs.

About the Author

Julia is an intern at Sea Going Green who wrote this blog based on her Bachelor's thesis on the intersection of climate change, coral reefs, and tourism. Through her research, she examined the impacts of climate change on coral reefs, taking a deeper look into how this affects tourism in coral reef destinations.

Based on the findings, she explored the future of coral reef tourism through two comparative scenarios accounting for prospective global carbon emissions. Considering the findings from these scenarios, she developed recommendations and areas for intervention to ameliorate the pressures on coral reef ecosystems.

Get in touch with us for more information about the findings presented here or for more information about what we do at Sea Going Green.