The Coral Triangle: A Marine Biodiversity Hotspot in Crisis [MAP]

Coral Triangle

The Coral Triangle is a roughly triangular-shaped marine area that covers 5.7 million square kilometers (2.2 million square miles) of ocean waters. It is geographically defined by the waters surrounding the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. This region is home to an extraordinary diversity of marine life, boasting:

• 76% of the world’s known coral species (605 out of 798)
• 37% of the world’s reef fish species (over 2,000 species)
• 6 out of 7 marine turtle species

The Coral Triangle’s rich biodiversity and productivity support the livelihoods of over 120 million people living in the region, who rely on its resources for food, income, and cultural identity.

The Coral Triangle is made up of marine zones with at least 600 species of reef-building coral. On the map above, the darkest area that looks like a triangle in pink shade is the Triangle area. Certain neighbouring nations, like Australia and Fiji, have extensive coral biodiversity as well, but in smaller quantities. 

Why the Coral Triangle (and not a circle)?

Scientists and conservationists used the following criteria to define the Coral Triangle:

• High species biodiversity (about 600 coral species, as well as a diverse range of reef fishes, foraminifera, fungoid corals, and stomatopods) and habitat diversity
• Oceanography (currents)

So it is the region of marine life in the western Pacific Ocean. The waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands are included. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s coral species can be found here, with almost 600 different species of reef-building corals alone. The region is home to six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, as well as mangrove forests and over 2000 reef fish species.

Whales, Tuna, Dugong, Humphead wrasse, Dolphins, and Porpoises are some of the other species. It is also home to a lot of commercially important tuna, which helps fuel a global tuna industry worth billions of dollars. Over 120 million people live in this area, and their food, income, and safety from storms depend on the coral reefs there. Over 2,000 languages are spoken in these waters, and the sea is a very important part of many cultures.

Coral Triangle biodiversity

Corals

• The Triangle has the most coral species of any place in the world. It is home to 605 of the world’s 798 coral species.
• The Bird’s Head Peninsula in Indonesian Papua has 574 species of coral, which is 95% of the Triangle’s total and 72% of the world’s total. This is the centre of coral diversity. With 553 different kinds of coral, the Raja Ampat archipelago, which is part of the Bird’s Head Peninsula, is the world’s coral diversity bull’s eye.
• There are 15 coral species that are only found in the Coral Triangle and nowhere else in the world. The Coral Triangle and Asia share 41 coral species that are only found in those two places.
• There are more coral reef fish species in the Coral Triangle than anywhere else in the world. It has 37 per cent (2,228) of the world’s 6,000 coral reef fish species and 56 per cent of the Indo-Pacific region’s coral reef fish species (4,050).
• Eight per cent of the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle, or 235 species, are endemic or only found in a small area. Four places in the Coral Triangle, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Papua New Guinea-Solomon Islands, Bird’s Head Peninsula, and the Central Philippines, have a lot of unique species.

Marine turtles 

Six of the seven species of marine turtles in the world, including the leatherback marine turtle, live in places like the Northern Bird’s Head Peninsula / Waigeo region, Papua (Indonesia), Lea region (Papua New Guinea), New Georgia, and the Gulf of Thailand (Solomon Islands).

What Threats Face the Coral Triangle?

The Triangle is part of a region that has evolved as one of the world’s economic powerhouses. Rapid population and economic expansion have fueled unsustainable coastal development and increased demand for high-priced marine resources like tuna, shark fin, turtle products, and live reef fish.

The problem now is to guarantee that the region’s expanding requirements do not render the Coral Triangle’s wonders obsolete. Now the Coral Triangle faces numerous threats to its health and survival of its marine ecosystems and the well-being of the communities that depend on them.

Overfishing and Destructive Fishing Practices

Overfishing: The unsustainable harvesting of fish populations is a significant threat to the Coral Triangle’s marine resources. Overfishing leads to the depletion of key species and disrupts marine food webs.

Destructive fishing practices: Techniques such as blast fishing, cyanide fishing, and bottom trawling cause direct physical damage to coral reefs and other critical habitats.

• Blast fishing: The use of explosives destroys vast areas of coral reef in a single blast.
• Cyanide fishing: Cyanide use for capturing live fish poisons and kills corals and other marine life.
• Bottom trawling: This method causes long-lasting damage to coral reefs, seagrass beds, and other benthic habitats.

Climate Change and Its Effects

Coral bleaching: Rising sea temperatures cause coral bleaching, a major concern for the Coral Triangle’s extensive reef systems. Mass coral bleaching events, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, can lead to widespread loss of coral reefs and their ecosystems.

Ocean acidification: The absorption of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic, making it difficult for corals and other calcifying organisms to build and maintain their skeletons and shells. This can lead to reduced coral growth, weakened reef structures, and potential ecosystem collapse.

Sea-level rise: A consequence of climate change, sea-level rise threatens the Coral Triangle’s low-lying coastal communities and ecosystems. Rising sea levels increase the vulnerability of coastal areas to flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion, damaging infrastructure, displacing communities, and degrading critical habitats like mangrove forests and seagrass beds.

Pollution and Coastal Development

Land-based pollution: Agricultural runoff, sewage discharge, and plastic waste introduce excess nutrients, toxins, and debris into coastal waters, leading to the degradation of coral reefs and other marine habitats.

Unsustainable coastal development: The destruction or alteration of critical coastal habitats, such as mangrove forests and seagrass beds, often occurs due to the construction of ports, resorts, and urban areas. These habitats provide important nursery grounds for many marine species, filter pollutants, stabilize shorelines, and protect coastal communities from storms and erosion.

Unsustainable Tourism

Tourism threats: Unsustainable tourism practices contribute to the degradation of sensitive marine habitats through anchor damage from boats, trampling of coral reefs by snorkelers and divers, and littering.

Pressure on local resources and infrastructure: Rapid tourism growth in some areas can lead to overcrowding, waste management problems, and the displacement of local communities.

Coral Triangle Initiative

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) is a multilateral partnership between the six Coral Triangle countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste) aimed at addressing the threats facing the region’s marine resources and promoting sustainable management practices.

Launched in 2009, by the efforts of Indonesian President Yudhoyono, the CTI-CFF has developed a Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) that outlines a set of goals and strategies for conserving the Coral Triangle’s marine and coastal resources. These goals include:

1. Designating and effectively managing priority seascapes
2. Applying an ecosystem approach to fisheries management
3. Establishing and effectively managing marine protected areas
4. Achieving climate change adaptation measures
5. Improving the status of threatened species

Final Thoughts

Despite the many threats facing the Coral Triangle, there are also numerous examples of successful conservation efforts in the region that offer hope for the future and provide valuable lessons for marine conservation worldwide.

One such example is the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most well-managed marine protected areas in the Coral Triangle. Through a combination of strong enforcement, community engagement, and sustainable tourism development, the park has been able to maintain a high level of coral cover and support a thriving diversity of marine life.

Another success story is the Tetepare Island Marine Protected Area in the Solomon Islands, which is managed by the local community through the Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA). By implementing a range of conservation measures, such as no-take zones, seasonal.