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Land & Water Stories

8 Easy Ways You Can Help Coral Reefs

Here are some simple, effective actions you can take to help save coral reefs and the fish, animals and plants that depend on them.

May 25, 2021 | Last updated September 08, 2022

Scenic reef with diver examining corals and fish
Maluku Islands Reef Scenic with Diver, Hard Corals, Reef fishes. © Jeff Yonover

Coral reefs benefit almost 500 million people and provide habitat for 25% of all marine species, but they’re also the most threatened.

Want to help? Here are some simple, effective actions you can take to help save coral reefs and the fish, animals and plants that depend on them.

  • 1. Dive responsibly when you visit coral reefs

    Avoid touching reefs or anchoring your boat on the reef. Contact with the reef will damage the delicate coral animals, and anchoring on the reef can kill corals. How tourism can be good for coral reefs.

  • 2. Wear a reef-friendly sunscreen

    Several common sunscreen ingredients, including oxybenzone and octinoxate, have been shown to be toxic to coral reefs. Sunscreens that use non-nano zinc oxide as their active ingredients do not contribute to coral bleaching.

  • 3. Eat sustainable seafood

    Research where your seafood comes from and if it's caught sustainably. Parrotfish eat algae off coral reefs, cleaning the reefs and helping the corals stay healthy and thriving. Pass on parrotfish!

  • 4. Make your lawncare green

    You may live thousands of miles from a coral reef, but the products you put on your lawn will eventually flow into the water system. Use green alternatives for fertilizer and pesticides that won’t harm coral reefs and marine life.

  • 5. Volunteer!

    If you live near the coast, volunteer in local beach or reef cleanups. If you don’t live near the coast, get involved in protecting your local watershed. Find an opportunity near you.

  • 6. Leave no trace

    Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and fish.

  • 7. Conserve water

    Use only the water you need. The less water you use, especially outdoors, the less runoff and wastewater will pollute our oceans.

  • 8. Spread the word!

    Educate your family and friends about coral reefs and contact your local representatives to see what your state is doing to protect coral reefs. If you're a teacher, go on a virtual coral reef field trip with your class! Watch: The Secret Life of Corals

All About Coral Reefs

A bright turquoise mural of a woman's face with sea creatures as hair.

Mural Depicts the Impacts of Coral Bleaching

Hawai‘i-born artist Jana Ireijo has created a "vanishing" mural that illustrates how climate change and the coral bleaching it contributes to are making reefs disappear.

Corals underwater.

How Tourism Can Be Good for Coral Reefs

Data highlights opportunities for the tourism industry to support better conservation outcomes

Eric_Madeja_Papua_New_Guinea_3982_x_2655

Why We Must Keep Calm and Coral On

We can still save coral reefs—but only if we work together.

By Mark Spalding