We work to protect and restore the world’s coral reefs from the effects of climate change and other impacts from human activity

Coral reefs, found in over 100 countries and territories globally, underpin ocean biodiversity and provide important economic, social, recreational and cultural benefits. Over 800 species of reef building corals create habitats that harbour an estimated 32% of all named marine species, excluding microbes and fungi - 91% of marine species remain undescribed!  37% of fish are associated with tropical reef environments. Recent estimates suggest that more than 90% of coral reef species have not been named and that total reef species numbers exceed 800,000. 

This level of diversity is particularly impressive given that reefs only cover about 285,000 km2, which is less than 0.1% of the surface area of the ocean. . . read more

 

In South Pacific, female divers push to save endangered coral reefs

To most people, fins, masks and neoprene wetsuits are recreational gear. But to the non-profit group Sea Women of Melanesia, this year’s Champion of the Earth for Inspiration and Action, they are the tools of…

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Protecting Coral Reefs

To protect the world’s coral reefs from the impacts of climate change and other human activities, UN Environment promotes the use of sound science to manage ecosystem services in marine and coastal areas. Our partnership work on coral reefs focuses on:

News and Multimedia

Check out our latest multimedia resources and press releases/stories.

Publications

Tropical coral reefs cover a mere 0.1 per cent of the ocean but are among the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet, supporting one quarter of all marine species. Read our latest reports and publications Learn more.

Contact Us

Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma

Ecosystems Division

Marine and Freshwater Branch

UN Environment Programme

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri

P. O. Box 305552, 00100

Nairobi, Kenya

Email: sinikinesh.jimma@un.org