A key attraction for tourists and habitat for fish nurseries, Egypt's corals fringe coastal towns including Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Sharm el-Sheikh - where the U.N. conference takes place Nov. 6-18.
As invertebrates, corals secrete calcium carbonate to build up their protective skeletons, where algae take up residence, giving the corals brilliant colour while providing the coral with energy. But corals are also temperature sensitive, and a change of just 1-2 degrees Celsius can cause them to expel their algae, leaving behind the white skeletons seen in "bleaching" events.
"We have in Egypt coral reefs that will be among the last remaining in the world, which means it will provide hope for humanity that a unique ecosystem like this remains alive," Hanafy said.The area sees up to 9 million dives across about 258 spots each year, with some spots taking more divers than appropriate, Hanafy said. That can disturb marine life and lead to damage of reef structures. Decades of coastal development have also taken a toll.
"If you compare the coast in the 1980s and now, it's changed greatly, large areas of coral reefs have been buried," said Mostafa Abdellah, who heads the mooring project for the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association.
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