{"id":1069,"date":"2021-08-09T06:52:42","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T13:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coral.org\/?page_id=1069"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T22:08:19","slug":"coastal-protection","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/coastal-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Coastal Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"hero-section alignfull wp-block-coral-hero\" role=\"banner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2000\" height=\"1244\" src=\"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance.jpg\" class=\"hero-background\" alt=\"Aerial view of the Coral Triangle dive trip by Coral Reef Alliance\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance-796x495.jpg 796w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance-1024x637.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.coral.org\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WOD-26-Article-Aerial-View-of-the-Coral-Triangle-Dive-Trip-by-Coral-Reef-Alliance-1536x955.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"hero-section__inner-container\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center hero-subtitle\">Coral Reefs 101 \u203a Why Care About Reefs?<\/p>\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center hero-title wp-block-post-title\">Coastal Protection<\/h1>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns coral-reefs-101-container is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-14cf5ab5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:320px\"><nav style=\"font-size:15px;font-style:normal;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-block-coral-classic-menu-1 has-active-indicator has-submenu-indent coral-101-menu wp-block-coral-classic-menu\" aria-label=\"Coral Reefs 101 Sidebar\">\n\t<ul id=\"menu-coral-reefs-101-sidebar\" class=\"menu\"><li id=\"menu-item-1513\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-1513\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/\">Coral Reef Ecology<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1514\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1514\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/coral-polyps\/\">Coral Polyps<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1518\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1518\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/hard-corals\/\">Hard Corals<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1522\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1522\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/soft-corals\/\">Soft Corals<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1521\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1521\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/how-reefs-are-made\/\">How Reefs Are Made<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2193\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2193\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/what-do-corals-reefs-need-to-survive\/\">What Do Corals Reefs Need to Survive?<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2194\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2194\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/geography\/\">Where Are Coral Reefs Located?<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1519\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1519\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/how-coral-reefs-grow\/\">How Coral Reefs Grow<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1520\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1520\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/how-corals-reproduce\/\">How Corals Reproduce<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2195\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2195\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/types-of-coral-reef-formations\/\">Types of Coral Reef Formations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2205\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-2205\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/reef-threats\/\">Reef Threats<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1517\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1517\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/global-threats\/\">Global<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-1516\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1516\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/direct-threats\/\">Direct<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2203\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-2203\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/\">Why Care About Reefs?<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2201\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2201\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/biodiversity\/\">Biodiversity<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2200\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2200\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/coastal-protection\/\">Coastal Protection<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2199\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2199\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/food\/\">Food<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2198\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2198\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/medicine\/\">Medicine<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-2197\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2197\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/coral-reefs-101\/why-care-about-reefs\/tourism\/\">Tourism<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2361\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2361\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/how-can-you-help\/\">How Can You Help?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav>\n<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Because of their hard, jagged structure, coral reefs can reduce wave energy by 97% and serve as a natural flood defense along nearly 45,000 miles (71,000km) of coastline worldwide. Nearly 200 million people depend on coral reefs to protect them from storm surges and waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">As climate change continues to increase the power of storms and the likelihood of flooding, coastal communities will become even more reliant on their coral reefs for coastal protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"350\" fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/coral.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/page_images_11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2222\"\/><figcaption>The island of Roatan is protected by its reefs.<em>\u00a0Photo by CORAL staff<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Because of their hard, jagged structure, coral reefs can reduce wave energy by 97% and serve as a natural flood defense along nearly 45,000 miles (71,000km) of coastline worldwide. Nearly 200 million people depend on coral reefs to protect them from storm surges and waves. As climate change continues to increase the power of storms [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9368,"parent":2202,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"coral_transparent_header":false,"coral_hide_siblings_nav":true,"coral_hide_flyout":false,"coral_hide_title":false,"coral_no_footer_gap":false,"coral_subtitle":"","coral_subheading":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1069","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1069\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}