Tourism's Impact on Coral Reefs: A Case Study

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Recommended: Destruction of the worlds coral reefs

A case study of "human impact damage" on the Coral reef environment through tourism

Introduction
This case study will take a critical approach to the human impacts on coral reefs in a global context, it will further highlight management strategies and problems that adventure tourism faces in these areas. Further providing a critical analysis of the reasons proposed to explain the popularity of coral reefs.
It is proven that human impacts can homogenize and simplify ecosystems (J. Williams, Gove, Eynaud, Zgliczynski, & Sandin, 2015). With man able to travel to any destination in the world with a click of a button the world’s natural landscapes are being exhausted. This is mainly due to the millions of flocking tourists that seek to feed …show more content…

This is a major problem that the reef ecosystem faces (Bellwood, Hughes, Folke, & Nyström, 2004). This is no more apparent than in Thailand 's gulf, were the fishing industry is producing about 2, 3 million tons of fish and shellfish in 2007 (FAO …show more content…

This study displayed that "abundances of carnivorous and herbivorous fishes and sea urchins were multiple higher in the protected Ang Thong Marine Park than in tourism-influenced sampling bays of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao" (Pusch, Gabriel, & Wild, 2011, p. 28). In addition, several other studies ran in support of these findings were carried out in various locations such as Hawkins (1993) Sharm El-Shaiq, Egypt, Alcala (1998) Apo Island, Philippines as well as Polunin and Roberts (1993) Netherlands Antilles and Belize. Consequently all showing similar results, in which high fishing and tourism has declined numbers of natural species in comparison to reserve areas, were fishing and tourism is managed or prohibited.
With this research being slightly outdated, as a consequence the impacts founded as result of these studies may be higher or lesser. Management strategies for the reduction in the destruction of coral reefs due to human impacts are numbered, with further advancements in these strategies, there is encouraging signs to show that conservation and preservation is a useful tool and is being implemented in certain regions of the

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