In 1995, when I was serving in the Pentagon, China began building structures on Mischief Reef, which is claimed by the Philippines and lies much closer to its shores than to China s. The US issued a statement that we took no position on the competing claims by five states over the 750 or so rocks, atolls, islets, cays, and reefs that comprise the Spratlys, which cover a vast area 425,000 square kilometers (164,000 square miles) of the South China Sea.

The claim relates to damage to shoreline areas, wetlands, mangroves, intertidal and subtidal areas and coral reefs.

The coral reefs of the north coast of Jamaica have a few percent live coral cover and a lot of seaweed and slime.

And finally, how much fun it would be to watch the flupsy parade and cheer on the oyster spats as they go down to the reef.

And that is the same reef that's the same reef 15 years ago that's the same reef today.

ReefCity.

Golden Grotto?

Iraq also states that, while there is clear evidence of damage to certain parts of the Kuwaiti desert, the claim needs to be evaluated against the relevant baseline conditions, ongoing grazing impacts and impediments to vegetation recovery and service provision brought about by a lack of sustainable rangeland management.

IV Coral reefs

Look out, the rocks!

The reef!

In addition, reefs such as those near Salt River Bay in St. Croix depend on mangroves and sea grass colonies along the coast for protection against runoff.61

Major Scott, there's a reef between us and that island, and these boats will get hung up on it.

Night Rock by Tigert

Kwajalein

And also, as an increase in extreme weather events due to climate change, they're expecting more waves to come in over the fringing reef, which will contaminate their fresh water supply.

There is an area that is the oceans, coral reefs.

And on top of the coral reefs are sand banks.

Florida Keys, FL

104. Welcomes the publication of the Status of Coral Reefs in Tsunami Affected Countries 2005 by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network

For example, Dominica estimated that 15 per cent of its coral reef is already under stress from bleaching, and Papua New Guinea predicted that 25 per cent of its existing shoreline could be inundated.

Other Parties emphasized protection of coral reef and coastal zone ecosystems by the creation of protected areas, comprehensive waste management, and utilizing traditional technologies to promote shoreline stabilization.

A great deal of this has been happening in the Great Barrier Reef, particularly in coral reefs all over the world.

I want to be able to go back to this reef. Thank you.

Shipwreck. Ship on the rocks!

They're The Southern Cross above coral reefs.

Provision of support for the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) for promoting effective and sustainable coral reef management practices.

We're crocheting a coral reef.

The hot sand, Green seaweed anchored to a rock...

You won't find it down there. That's the Golden Grotto.

Those reefs at Discovery Bay, Jamaica were the most studied coral reefs in the world for 20 years.

The Panel also considers that it is not reasonable for Kuwait to assume that there will be no further natural recovery between 2002 and the start of remediation measures to be funded by the third and fourth F4 instalment awards.

I can see the rocks are over here.

Coral reef in New Caledonia.

And that's more or less the story of the coral reefs of the Caribbean, and increasingly, tragically, the coral reefs worldwide.

How does the reef work? Well, it's very, very simple.

Blue lagoon, white sand, golden skin.

And the view of scientists about how coral reefs work, how they ought to be, was based on these reefs without any fish.

Blasting of reef beds for boulders, and mining the lagoon for sand, can have a long term impact on the fragile ecology of these islands.

Richard Pyle dives the reef's Twilight Zone

Do we have evidence of this? Yes, coral reef systems.

It's built entirely of coral reefs.

The coral reef is the region's prime attraction.

Just to the South are the world famous Tobago Cays.

I told you there's no passage through that reef.