g the fish that shelter within them, and the algae that exist inside of them processing nutrients. If any aspect of the ecosystem is disturbed, that is reflected in other parts of the system.
In studying the problems associated with coral reefs, it soon becomes apparent that the issue is not simply the loss of the reefs themselves. The loss of coral reefs is directly connected to the loss of fish who depend upon the reef for protection and feeding territory. Estimates of marine biologists lead to high figures of fish and habitat loss. One estimate, by biologist Marjorie Reaka-Kudla is that up to 1.2 million reef species alone could become extinct within the next 40 years if reef degradation is not halted. She came up with that figure by starting with the theoretical assumption that coral reefs are as species-rich as tropical forests. She also used the figure of 30 percent reef loss in the next 40 years (Malakoff, 1997).
Obviously fishing, too, has a major impact on the extinction of marine species. Over-fishing, in concord with overpopulation, has created a problem for fish. Fish have increasing difficulty in finding refuge from fishing and even those fish which are not the immediate target of fishermen may be caught up in nets and other new technologies designed to harvest vast quantities of fish. According to Henrichsen (1997), the most common fishing techniques for people in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Africa have become the use of poisons and dynamite to stun fish, which has a major destructive impact on the coral reefs. Yet, overpopulation and high-technology fishing methods have forced subsistence fishermen to take drastic measures in order to provide food for their families. Coral reefs are the major source of animal protein for more than 1 billion poor people in Asia.
Still, reef loss remains a major problem in the potential extinction not only of fish, but of other forms of marine life. Reef loss...