The world’s tropical coasts are home to over two billion people, many of whom live in poverty and depend on coastal resources such as coral reef fish for their livelihood, sustenance, and cultural traditions.
This report synthesizes data from individual socioeconomic assessments to quantify and qualify regional and global dependence on coral reef resources, perceptions of resource conditions, threats to marine and coastal resources, and support for marine management strategies such as marine protected areas. Data are included from 49 studies, representing close to 14,000 household surveys conducted in hundreds of communities in 27 countries. This information provides evidence of the need to conserve global coral reef resources to ensure food security and contribute to poverty alleviation.