major pollutants that are released from various sources, mainly due to careless human activities, pose a serious threat to coral reefs and the wide array of marine floral and faunal species that are solely dependent on them. these pollutants are either directly dumped into the oceans or by runoff that flows from the land into the ocean via rivers and streams. a rise in the human population results in more development of coastal areas. this leads to the alteration of the landscape and an increase in land-based pollution sources threatening the health of coral reefs.
one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems
threats to coral reefs
