reef conservation > threats
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copyright statement: the images on this site are to be used only for non- commercial purposes, such as personal use or not-for-profit education and outreach activities. Please email me at burdickdr at hotmail.com to request use of these images for more than personal (i.e., home) use.

- Importance of Guam's reefs
- Health of Guam's reefs
- - Health intro
- - Reef health tour
- - - - Northern reefs
- - - - East-central and southeastern reefs

- - - - Apra Harbor reefs
- - - -Southwestern reefs

- - - - Western reefs

- Threats to Guam's reefs
- - Algae overgrowth
- - Anchor damage

- - Coral bleaching
- - Crown of thorns outbreaks
- - Debris
- - Disease
- - Divers/snorkelers/ swimmers
- - Illegal fishing
- - Kayaks and other human-powered watercraft
- - Ocean acidification

- - Overharvesting
- - Sedimentation
- - Sewage discharge
- - Stormwater runoff
- - Terpios sponge
- - Vessel groundings

- - Windsurf boards and kiteboards
- Current management
- Recommendations
- Get involved

  What threats are impacting Guam's reefs?  

Despite the critical importance of Guam’s coral reefs to so many aspects of life on the island, they remain under assault from a range of threats. While there are multiple threats affecting Guam's coral reefs, sedimentation, overfishing, and crown of thorns outbreaks are probably the most serious threats to Guam's reefs. Most of the threats currently affecting Guam's reefs are local in origin, a result of the activities we do here on the island or in the surrounding waters. But scientists around the world are warning of the increasing threat of impacts associated with global climate change. These threats, including coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and sea level rise, are expected to challenge even the most healthy reefs and could result in the loss of much of the world's coral reefs - including Guam's.

 
Click on the images below to learn more about the threats impacting Guam's reefs, as well as some of the human behaviors that are behind these threats:
       
algae overgrowth
anchor damage
coral bleaching
crown of thorns outbreaks
       
debris
disease
diver/snorkeler/swimmer impacts
illegal fishing
       
kayaks and other human-powered watercraft
overharvesting
sedimentation
sewage discharge
photo not available
photo not available
       
stormwater runoff
Terpios sponge
vessel groundings
windsurf boards and kiteboards
     
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