An inter-governmental agreement exists between the six countries called The Coral Triangle Initiative. CTI is supported by The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and The World Wildlife Fund for Nature. These organizations work closely with the six main countries to find solutions to improve the quality of human and animal life in the area.
Climate Change Solutions: (SST change, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, mass coral bleaching)
- Prioritize significant CO2 emission to reduce the rate and change of climate change
- The WWF recommends making steep global cuts in emission levels that are 80% below the levels they were in 1990 by 2050
- Renewed interest in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
- Responsible for climate impacts from increased sea-levels and storm activity
- Water quality regulations
Anthropogenic Solutions: (destructive fishing, vulnerability of coastal communities)
- Sustainable fisheries and fishing regulations
- International Seafood Sustainability Foundation - protect tuna stock and reduce bycatch; can be done through aquaculture sources to reduce risk of endangered fish stock
- Alternative fishing hooks can also be used to reduce bycatch, especially that of turtles
- The Nature Conservancy began The Coral Triangle Initiative in order to protect the coastal resources that feed and support the economy of the people that live there
- Development and effective management of marine protected areas
- underwater tract is set aside and locally protected; promotes replenishing of fish and reefs
Finally, an overall enforcement of the policies made.
Conclusion
- The issue will never completely be solved but it can be stabilized and the current condition can be improved
- Harmful effects will still exist because of the extensive amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
- This issue is like the domino-effect so although we do not live in the Coral Triangle there are still things that we can do to help such as being more energy efficient
Resources
Adhuri, D., Alino, P., . . . Weeratunge, Nireka. "Food Security and the Coral Triangle Initiative." Marine Policy. March 2013. Web. March 3, 2015.
"Coral Triangle". WorldWildlife.org: World Wildlife Fund. http://www.worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle. Web. March 2, 2015.
Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Hoegh-Guldberg, H, . . . Oliver J. "The Coral Triangle and Climate Change: Ecosystems, People, and Societies at Risk." World Wildlife Fund. May 2009. Web. March 5, 2015
Huang D, Roy K. 2015 The future of evolutionary diversity in reef corals. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 370: 20140010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0010
Mcleod, Elizabeth. "Sea-level rise vulnerability in the countries of the Coral Triangle". Springer. July 1, 2010. Web. March 4, 2014.
"The Coral Triangle Atlas". The Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/coraltriangle/explore/coral-triangle-atlas.xml. Web. March 3, 2015