Coral Reefs are valued at between $100,000 and $600,000 per square kilometer each year (UNEP, 2006)
Just three to four decades ago, coral coverage in the Caribbean was commonly 40 to 60 percent. Now in many areas of Puerto Rico it is less than 10%
The Caribbean has lost half its reef areas since the 1970s
Matthew Kendall, NOAA (in 2001) estimated 756 km2 of coral reef in PR so a loss of 50% or more of reef area 756/2 x $250,000 (conservatively) = Total loss of >$93 Million dollars a year
