Scientists' perceptions of threats to coral reefs: results of a survey of coral reef researchers

Prior to the 10^th International Coral Reef Symposium in Okinawa, Japan, in June 2004, symposium participants and members of the International Society for Reef Studies were surveyed to obtain their opinions about the major threats facing coral reef ecosystems. Responses from 286 participants were analyzed and compared to results obtained in a similar survey conducted in 1993. Respondents tended to rank highest those threats associated with human population growth, coastal development, and overfishing. While coral bleaching was ranked much more highly than in the 1993 survey, about two-thirds of the respondents felt that direct human impacts were worse threats than those associated with global climate change.