Coral reefs are a critical global resource, both biologically, and in socio-economic terms. They are the most diverse marine habitat, with an estimated one million different species. They are also widely used by coastal communities as a source of food and as the basis for a major tourism industry, providing both a livelihood and foreign exchange earnings for many communities and developing nations.

Coral reefs are also highly sensitive to climatic influences and appear to number among the most sensitive of all ecosystems to temperature changes, exhibiting the phenomenon known as coral bleaching when stressed by higher than normal sea temperatures.