Hey guys, today I am going to talk about the importance of coral reefs and why coastal development should not be allowed. Apart from the aesthetic beauty of the reefs, they serve many important functions in the environment. They are not just there to look nice.  Coral reefs are important for many different reasons aside from containing the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.  These spectacular biomes provide many functions for the marine life. They are homes to many aquatic life and provides shelter and protection for many marine organisms, they also produce a source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains and help with nutrient recycling. Apart from serving those purposes for marine life these reefs protect the coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and storms. If these reefs are destroyed for coastal development it can have many negative effects such as coastal erosion and loss of biodiversity. This can then cause other rippling effects such as shortage of fish for food amongst others.
Many people do not realise the major effects that comes with the destruction of coral reefs and they tend to not pay attention to the environmental impacts, but it does not only affect the environment, us, as humans can also be greatly affected by such actions. There must be other options for developers than to destroy these reefs.