n October 13 in the University of Exeter’s second “Global Tipping Points” report, the scientific community delivered a shocking prediction. It stated that the central estimate of the thermal tipping point for warm water corals of +1.2°C global warming has been exceeded. They concluded that, even under the most optimistic scenarios, warm–water coral reefs are likely to collapse.
This bleak prediction is about more than losing snorkeling and pretty fish. Coral reefs are critical ecosystems upon which billions of people around the world rely for their livelihoods and food. Coral reefs also support 30% of marine species and serve as critical coastal shields protecting hundreds of millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars of coastal infrastructure. Indeed, healthy reefs can absorb up to 97% of the wave energy from storm surge, protecting houses, hotels, marinas and other coastal structures .
As coastal states around the world become more aware of their own reliance on the maritime domain for national security, stability, and prosperity—an increasing amount of attention is being directed toward critical maritime infrastructure protection. Ports are often the lifeblood of national economies, subsea pipelines carry vital energy supplies and submarine cables are literally people’s connectivity to the world. Increasingly, however, states are contending with the degrading and debilitating effects of coastal erosion, storm surges, rising water levels, and other threats from the sea that not only diminish the quality of life on the coast, but diminish the coast itself. As states grapple with how to reverse or at least stem the losses, living coral reefs are emerging as a critical element of coastal protection.
Just as some coral systems have been legally designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it is time to start designating coral systems as critical national infrastructure (CNI) at risk.
While bleaching and degradation have been occurring for years, large scale coral restoration efforts have not been scientifically possible until now. In other words, once a reef system was lost, it was considered to be gone for good. The scientific and technical advancement in this space, however, has made it so that scalable coral restoration projects are now a viable possibility. With that possibility needs to come a reevaluation of how to designate coral systems. By designating reefs not just as cultural heritage or part of environmental protection efforts, but as part of CNI, we change their character from environmental to vital for national survival.
Just as railways, roads, water, and energy are treated as engines of economic stability and growth, reefs must be valued for what they are: vital to the lives and livelihoods of billions.
Fortunately, more attention is being centered on critical maritime infrastructure protection. Coastal states are contending with the devastating impacts of coastal erosion, storm surges, and rising sea levels as the world was tragically reminded recently in Jamaica and the Philippines. This has caused heightened awareness of dependence on the maritime domain for national security, stability, and prosperity. For example, when reefs disappear, people lose their jobs—driving crime and illegal migration.
There are three significant benefits that come with a CNI designation for coral systems: protection, investment, and insurance.
Protection makes it possible to devote military, law enforcement, and other security assets to protecting coral systems when they are considered CNI. That includes using surveillance assets to monitor them, and physical assets and personnel to physically protect them against threats.
Investment in the environment is much easier when you can name a specific asset. In an area where coral systems have been depleted, creative investment into hybrid reefs that can secure the coastline against storm surge, boost fisheries, and provide attractive tourism opportunities can be approached through different financing mechanisms. Investing $100 million to rebuild a reef to protect $100 billion in infrastructure is a good idea and there is enormous appetite for this kind of mechanism.
Insuring natural environments against harm is also much easier with a CNI designation. New insurance products can be developed to insure coral systems and reefs and thereby safeguard the coastal economies of susceptible states. Already, insurance companies are struggling to deal with the mounting losses that come from increasingly violent storms and storm surge.
Every coastal, island, and archipelagic state should consider the extent to which its coastal areas are dependent on coral systems for economic viability, and for basic territorial integrity. If the loss of such systems would diminish the landmass or the sovereign wealth of the state, they should consider leveraging the CNI designation to safeguard their future.
This new approach is vital if we are to prevent the first extinction of an entire functional ecosystem since the time of the dinosaurs. Instead of proclaiming the end of coral reefs, humanity has an opportunity to stand up, act and declare firmly that we will not allow coral reefs to disappear.
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Recognizing coral reefs as critical infrastructure could save them
December 16, 2025
Coral reefs provide critical coastal shields for hundreds of billions of dollars in coastal infrastructure. Designating coral reefs as critical infrastructure could save them, and make coastal societies more prosperous and resilient, write Dr. Ian Ralby and Philippe Cousteau.
O
n October 13 in the University of Exeter’s second “Global Tipping Points” report, the scientific community delivered a shocking prediction. It stated that the central estimate of the thermal tipping point for warm water corals of +1.2°C global warming has been exceeded. They concluded that, even under the most optimistic scenarios, warm–water coral reefs are likely to collapse.
This bleak prediction is about more than losing snorkeling and pretty fish. Coral reefs are critical ecosystems upon which billions of people around the world rely for their livelihoods and food. Coral reefs also support 30% of marine species and serve as critical coastal shields protecting hundreds of millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars of coastal infrastructure. Indeed, healthy reefs can absorb up to 97% of the wave energy from storm surge, protecting houses, hotels, marinas and other coastal structures .
As coastal states around the world become more aware of their own reliance on the maritime domain for national security, stability, and prosperity—an increasing amount of attention is being directed toward critical maritime infrastructure protection. Ports are often the lifeblood of national economies, subsea pipelines carry vital energy supplies and submarine cables are literally people’s connectivity to the world. Increasingly, however, states are contending with the degrading and debilitating effects of coastal erosion, storm surges, rising water levels, and other threats from the sea that not only diminish the quality of life on the coast, but diminish the coast itself. As states grapple with how to reverse or at least stem the losses, living coral reefs are emerging as a critical element of coastal protection.
Just as some coral systems have been legally designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it is time to start designating coral systems as critical national infrastructure (CNI) at risk.
While bleaching and degradation have been occurring for years, large scale coral restoration efforts have not been scientifically possible until now. In other words, once a reef system was lost, it was considered to be gone for good. The scientific and technical advancement in this space, however, has made it so that scalable coral restoration projects are now a viable possibility. With that possibility needs to come a reevaluation of how to designate coral systems. By designating reefs not just as cultural heritage or part of environmental protection efforts, but as part of CNI, we change their character from environmental to vital for national survival.
Just as railways, roads, water, and energy are treated as engines of economic stability and growth, reefs must be valued for what they are: vital to the lives and livelihoods of billions.
Fortunately, more attention is being centered on critical maritime infrastructure protection. Coastal states are contending with the devastating impacts of coastal erosion, storm surges, and rising sea levels as the world was tragically reminded recently in Jamaica and the Philippines. This has caused heightened awareness of dependence on the maritime domain for national security, stability, and prosperity. For example, when reefs disappear, people lose their jobs—driving crime and illegal migration.
There are three significant benefits that come with a CNI designation for coral systems: protection, investment, and insurance.
Protection makes it possible to devote military, law enforcement, and other security assets to protecting coral systems when they are considered CNI. That includes using surveillance assets to monitor them, and physical assets and personnel to physically protect them against threats.
Investment in the environment is much easier when you can name a specific asset. In an area where coral systems have been depleted, creative investment into hybrid reefs that can secure the coastline against storm surge, boost fisheries, and provide attractive tourism opportunities can be approached through different financing mechanisms. Investing $100 million to rebuild a reef to protect $100 billion in infrastructure is a good idea and there is enormous appetite for this kind of mechanism.
Insuring natural environments against harm is also much easier with a CNI designation. New insurance products can be developed to insure coral systems and reefs and thereby safeguard the coastal economies of susceptible states. Already, insurance companies are struggling to deal with the mounting losses that come from increasingly violent storms and storm surge.
Every coastal, island, and archipelagic state should consider the extent to which its coastal areas are dependent on coral systems for economic viability, and for basic territorial integrity. If the loss of such systems would diminish the landmass or the sovereign wealth of the state, they should consider leveraging the CNI designation to safeguard their future.
This new approach is vital if we are to prevent the first extinction of an entire functional ecosystem since the time of the dinosaurs. Instead of proclaiming the end of coral reefs, humanity has an opportunity to stand up, act and declare firmly that we will not allow coral reefs to disappear.
