The beauty of coral reefs is in danger. There are 400,000 square miles of coral reefs on the earth. They house over 93,000 species of marine life. One of the main threats to them is pollution. The quality of ocean water is being lessened by runoff waste from industrial, agricultural, and mining businesses. Large boats and cruise ships have also greatly damaged coral reefs with their anchors and by scraping them with their bottoms.

Domestic laws are starting to place regulations on the protection of coral reefs and pollution prevention. In 1994, the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) brought many nations together to monitor and manage programs to protect the environment associated with coral reefs. Fishing is the largest threat to coral reefs. Scientists and policymakers want to increase marine protected areas. This would involve a restriction on fishing. There is a conflict between tourism and scientific interests. Therefore, plans to protect coral reefs have been stalled in some areas.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act became a law in 1972 and has been amended 15 times since then. It was designed to control activities that affect marine environment. It aims to increase understanding and public awareness of the importance of the resources that inhabit the reef environments. The act states that it is unlawful "to destroy, cause the loss of, or injure any sanctuary resource managed under law or regulations for that sanctuary".

These and other laws may thwart the destruction of these areas. Over 93 countries affected are seeing the destructive effects of human activities on coral reefs. Worldwide effort is needed to save this beautiful underwater ecosystem.