Coral reefs and tide pools are full of undiscovered biomedical resources that have just recently begun to become explored.   Reefs and tide pools protect coastal communities from storms, wave damage, and erosion.  Their tourist attraction ability is important to the economy.   Monitoring of coral reefs and tide pools can identify changes in water quality or impacts from activities on land

Natural Induced Problems:
    Coral Reefs and tide pools recover quickly from short-term natural catastrophic
events, like hurricanes and other strong storms

Human Induced Problems:
    However, long-term stress from agricultural and industrial runoff that includes human sewage and toxic discharges is harder for coral reefs and tide pools to recover from.  Surface waters from watersheds that discharge into coastal waters negatively affect coral reef and tide pool communities.

“June 11, 1998, Clinton issued an executive order on coral reef protection "to preserve and protect the biodiversity, health, heritage, and social and economic value of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment."

U.S. Coral Reef Task Force:
  The Task Force researches coral reefs by mapping and monitoring the reefs.  They work to conserve, mitigate, and restore coral reefs through their research and international cooperation.

International and U.S. Coral Reef Initiatives:
    The International and Coral Reef  Intiatives were formed in 1994.  The initiatives are organizations working together to preserve and protect coral reefs.

Point Pinos Tidepool Task Force:
   The city of Pacific Grove decided to establish the public-based organization.  The task force  focuses on three important intiatives: "improve public awareness about tidepool conservation through signage; improve public awareness about tidepool conservation through on-site volunteer interpreters; and conduct research to increase the understanding about the role of human impact in changes that occur in rocky intertidal communities.  Research and education subcommittees were established to help implement the three initiatives" (http://www.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/Intro/press_releases/010208.html).

                                                    
                Sea Urchin                                                                                            Sea Anenome; both live and survive on coral reefs and tidepools.