Japan's coast is one of the most studied coral coasts in the world. Doctors are now using shark cartilage to aid in the relief of arthritic pain and to help regrow the bone that has already been lost. And the porous limestone skeletons of coral are now being tested as bone grafts in humans (Aldridge 73). Also, chemicals that the corals produce naturally are now being used and sold in the United States as a natural sunscreen.
With all the benefits the reefs carry, there are also many problems that go along with them. Tourists have a enormous impact on the destruction of the reefs. Tourists include enthusiast, fisherman, devoted divers and scientists who want to see the breathtaking beauty of nature. The reefs have brought resorts to many areas that also want to get into the $1 billion business. These people are destroying the reefs while diving, bumping and stepping on these fragile animals and killing them; the hotels and motels they build for the tourists pollute the reefs by their drainage and sewage pipes. While these visitors are out, the boats and anchors are doing unspeakable damage to the corals below also. Last year alone over 1.2 million tourists visited the Great Barrier Reef, which is located 2000 kilometers along the east coast of Australia, and happens to be the largest reef on the planet. It is said to be visible from the moon! Every year the numbers of visitors increase by ten percent (Bruggencats 24). Coastal tourism is unknowingly annihilating the very reefs that they get great satisfaction from.
Construction along the coast, inshore construction, mining or farming upstream, or logging in tropical forests causes soil to erode and rush downstream into the ocean and onto coral reefs. This dirt, silt, or sand can make the water cloudy or muddy, smothering the coral which can't get enough light to survive. Mangrove trees and sea grasses which normally act as filters for residue are also being destroyed.
