Date of publication 09/09/2026
Coral reefs: the growing importance of an ecosystem at risk
Taking an active role in conscious tourism means enjoying the natural world with greater respect and connecting with what makes each place unique. Across our Caribbean destinations, coral reefs reveal the wisdom held within nature.
Known as the "rainforests of the sea" because of their biodiversity, these underwater worlds support countless other animals and plants in addition to the corals themselves, including fish, sponges, crustaceans, mollusks, starfish, sea urchins, and many types of algae. Today, the effects of the climate crisis are putting their age-old resilience at risk.
Here, we explain what coral reefs are, how they form, the different types, and where they are found. We explore their value and the threats they face, as well as the different ways you can help protect them during a vacation at our hotels, where we have established coral nurseries.
What are coral reefs?
Coral reefs are home to an extraordinary number of creatures, but what exactly are they made of? First, corals are animals. They should not be confused with marine plants such as Caribbean sargassum or, on the other side of the Atlantic, Mediterranean Posidonia. This unusual group within the animal kingdom shares certain characteristics with anemones, jellyfish, and hydrozoans.
Second, coral reefs are habitats built from the calcium carbonate secreted by corals, together with other sediments that accumulate around them. Stony or hard corals are also known as "reef-building corals."
How coral reefs form
The way coral reefs form is remarkable. The calcium carbonate secreted by these unusual marine animals, hard corals, creates a foundation where their offspring can settle and survive. Over time, this material accumulates on the seafloor and gradually forms a reef. In a sense, these ecosystems could be seen as an expression of the care one generation of corals leaves behind for the next.
Other animals and plants also contribute to their formation. Algae, sponges and even some mollusks, such as clams and oysters, become part of this natural architecture, leaving their bodies behind when they die and creating foundations for new corals to grow. Alongside this instinct to nurture future generations, coral reefs are also shaped by another powerful force shared by living beings: community.
Types of coral reefs
There are several types of coral reefs. The most common classification divides them into four groups: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, patch reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs grow close to shore, around both islands and continents. Separated from the coastline by narrow, shallow lagoons, they absorb the force of waves and help protect shores from erosion. They also filter the water and help keep sand clean, contributing to the white-sand beaches and clear waters you can enjoy on vacation in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.
Barrier reefs perform many of these same important functions. Like fringing reefs, they lie near coastlines, although farther offshore and across deeper lagoons. They often rise toward or above the water's surface, creating natural barriers to navigation, which is where their name comes from.
Of all the different types, patch reefs are the smallest and most isolated. They grow on the open seafloor of island or continental shelves. Atolls, meanwhile, are reefs that gradually develop a ring shape over time. They are generally found in the open sea and often form when reef-fringed islands sink or when the water level around them rises.
Why coral reefs are important
Some connections are inseparable, like the bond between sea turtles and coral reefs. Sea turtles help keep reefs healthy by feeding on marine sponges, which compete with corals. The importance of coral reefs is closely tied to this kind of symbiosis, and extends far beyond ocean life and the creatures that inhabit its depths. According to the Coral Reef Alliance, 25% of all marine life on the planet depends on coral reefs. Yet biodiversity is only part of the picture: more than 500 million people rely on reefs for their livelihoods, whether as a source of food or income.
Along coastlines, the Coral Reef Alliance notes that coral formations can reduce wave energy by 97%, providing a natural line of defense against flooding, storm surges and hurricanes. In the years ahead, as storms grow stronger and the risk of flooding increases, coastal communities will depend on reefs more than ever. There is reason for hope: although the climate crisis threatens their future, corals have a remarkable ability to adapt, giving them a natural capacity for resilience.
Why coral reefs are endangered
Coral bleaching and the climate crisis
Today, Caribbean pillar corals such as Dendrogyra cylindrus and other reef-building species exposed to extreme warming and disease are among the most threatened. Rising water temperatures are the main cause of coral bleaching, or loss of color, which occurs when corals expel the essential symbiotic microalgae known as zooxanthellae.
Pollution, overfishing and irresponsible behavior
Using reef-friendly sunscreen helps, but it cannot solve the problem on its own. Marine pollution is a global issue with many causes. Plastics, chemical discharges and nutrient-rich wastewater can trigger uncontrolled growth of algae that "smother" corals and block sunlight. Together with industrial overfishing and other irresponsible human behavior, such as anchoring boats on reefs or divers touching corals, these pressures damage coral habitats.
The world's most important coral reefs
Coral reefs are found across six of the world's seven continents and in more than 100 countries, although they are concentrated mainly in areas close to the equator, where the water is warmer. Around half of the planet's coral reefs are located in just six countries: Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, the Maldives and Papua New Guinea.
The Great Barrier Reef
The world's largest coral reef system is in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest of all and the biggest living structure on Earth, stretching for up to 1,600 miles. It can even be seen from space. The system comprises more than 2,900 individual reefs and around 900 islands and islets.
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is surrounded by reefs that form their own small-scale microcosms. They may be a world away from the Great Barrier Reef in size, but their ability to protect beaches and adapt to changing conditions is no less important.
Palancar Reef
Palancar Reef is located in Mexico, within Cozumel Reefs National Park and close to the Yucatán Peninsula. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Many animals live here, including species at risk of extinction in Mexico, such as the loggerhead sea turtle, making its preservation especially important. Iberostar Waves Cozumel is home to a coral nursery near this reef, turning your island experience into an opportunity to explore it with greater awareness.
Belize Barrier Reef
The world's second-largest barrier reef, stretching for more than 620 miles, is also in the Caribbean, running along the entire coast of Quintana Roo in Mexico, as well as Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. You can discover the Belize Barrier Reef during a stay at Iberostar hotels in Riviera Maya. Perhaps its most iconic site is the Great Blue Hole, also known simply as the Blue Hole, made famous after oceanographer Jacques Cousteau undertook a daring dive there in the 1960s.
Raja Ampat Reef
Located in Indonesia, Raja Ampat Reef forms part of the Coral Triangle. Scientists believe it may be the richest and most diverse coral reef ecosystem in the world. It is estimated to contain more than 500 coral species and over 800 species of fish alone.
Other coral ecosystems can be found in tropical regions, including Iberostar destinations in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Iberostar's commitment to coral reefs
Coral nurseries and restoration with Iberostar Wave of Change
At our hotels, we promote conscious tourism, working to care for coastal ecosystems in the destinations where we operate. As part of the Iberostar Wave of Change commitment, we have coral nurseries at our resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. These are spaces dedicated to scientific research and coral restoration, where a professional team studies how corals respond to the climate crisis. Specialized researchers also work to help them regenerate. During your stay, you can visit these nurseries and learn more about our work.
Hotels with coral nurseries
Our work to improve coastal health takes shape in Playa Paraíso and Cozumel in Mexico, Puerto Plata, Bayahíbe and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Montego Bay in Jamaica.
Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo sits by the sea, surrounded by native vegetation. This Riviera Maya hotel is ideal for couples and families, giving you the freedom to choose from a wide range of experiences connected to the natural surroundings. Visit the resort's coral nurseries, walk among mangroves or join a diving excursion through reefs and cenotes.
At Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus, a beachfront vacation unfolds amid the nature surrounding the hotel. The beauty of the Dominican Republic sets the pace for relaxed, unscheduled experiences that bring you closer to local ecosystems and culture. It is an ideal setting for an active, conscious trip to Bayahíbe. Its coral nursery is quite literally beneath the sea.
Set beside the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites brings together conscious tourism and cultural immersion. At this resort with a coral lab, you decide how to spend your time: relax in the comfort of your suite or head out on an adventure with one of the activities available through the excursion desk.
How to help protect coral reefs when you travel
Snorkeling and diving with respect for the marine environment
Diving in Riviera Maya is a dream experience. When you take the plunge, make sure you stay within designated diving areas, limit the time you spend in protected zones, and follow local regulations. Never touch corals or other marine animals and plants. You can also use mineral sunscreen without nanoparticles, choosing a formula that is safer for reefs and other marine ecosystems.
Choosing accommodations that help care for coral reefs
The next time you hear about coral reefs, those postcard images of tropical beaches may carry something more: a deeper sense of wonder. Behind the intense colors, the otherworldly shapes, and the turquoise water edged with white sand and palm trees lies an entire living world. Choose a hotel that shares these values and supports your conscious travel choices. While you switch off and enjoy the surroundings, we continue working to care for the corals that help make them possible.
Travel more consciously with Iberostar
We are committed to coastal health in the Caribbean and around the world. This commitment shows in the details: vacations free from single-use plastics, ever more efficient waste and energy management, cuisine built on locally sourced ingredients and responsibly caught fish and seafood, and nature-based activities guided by the same philosophy. Conscious tourism encompasses every choice you make, both within your hotel and beyond it.
