The world's ocean and coasts are home to an incredible array of life and vital to human health, livelihoods and
cultures.
But damaging and unsustainable human activities
are weakening the ocean.
Fragile ecosystems such as corals are dying (corals are predicted to disappear by 2050), some species are at risk of extinction and others with major commercial value are just a shadow of their former abundance. Why is that a problem? Coral reefs provide refuges for a myriad of fish species and other marine life, as well as protection from storms and economic value of close to a trillion USD. Fisheries need to be carefully managed in order to be productive and to avoid undermining the ocean's health.
We pay the price – when the ocean suffers, so do millions of people around the world who depend directly on the marine environment to feed themselves and their families and who benefit from its many other major contributions to their lives.
►
WWF Oceans Campaign
►
Read WWF marine stories on ocean health and people