VIII. Ways to Improve Ecosystem and Maintain Balance Between People & Ecosystem

Understanding the prevalent human impacts on the Red Sea is imperative and necessary to reevaluate the contribution we are making to this ecosystem. It also is important because the difference between man-made polluting activities and natural catastrophes on coral reefs, is that there is a possibility that the human-inflicted area will not return to its former configuration, while reconstruction of reef areas affected by natural disturbances is mainly a function of time. Thus, in order to mitigate future impacts to coral reefs and communicate the potential impacts of diving, overfishing, and pollution, environmental education and public awareness campaigns must be put into place. Another recommendation that is needed to protect the sensitive environment throughout the Red Sea coastal zone would be designating the coral islands distributed in the Red Sea as protected areas. These protected areas can thus enforce laws that allow for some sensitive areas that are byproducts of human impact, to be closed off. In addition, in order to reduce the current levels of coral damage caused by divers, we must limit the total number of dives per reef, require that all dives be led by guides, transfer training courses and introductory dives from fragile reefs to more sandy areas, and lastly, improve the environmental education of divers by implementing sessions on how to behave underwater around coral reefs. Lastly, to improve the decimating fish levels, we must ban all forms of commercial fishing, and only allow traditional or recreational fishing. This is because the environmental damage associated with net-fishing in the sea is overwhelming.

In an article titled, "Red Sea Large Marine Ecosystem" the The Encyclopedia of Earth stresses the importance and necessity of establishing more maine protective areas since marine protected areas exists as havens for fish and enable repopulation. [5]


Currently, "by reducing navigation risks, and preventing and controlling maritime pollution" the World Bank/GEF/PERGSA Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Red Sea is working to improve the environment of the region. [5]


[1]   Zakai, D., and N. Chadwickfurman. "Impacts of Intensive Recreational Diving on Reef Corals at Eilat, Northern Red Sea." Biological Conservation 105.2 (2002): 179-87. Print.

[2] "Endangered Species: Egypt's Coral Reefs." Al-Masry Al-Youm. 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.almasryalyoum

[3] "IUCN - Red Sea, White Coral?" IUCN - Home. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/marine/marine_our_work/climate_change/?3857/Red-Sea-White-Coral>.

[4] Recolonization of Red Sea Corals Affected by Natural Catastrophes and Man-Made Perturbations

Y. Loya Ecology Vol. 57, No. 2 (Mar., 1976), pp. 278-289 Published by: Ecological Society of America

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1934816
[5] http://www.eoearth.org/article/Red_Sea_large_marine_ecosystem