How can coral restoration improve overall marine health?

Coral restoration is fundamentally crucial for enhancing overall marine health because it plays a key role in providing habitats for a wide variety of marine species. Healthy coral reefs are known to support about 25% of all marine life, serving as essential breeding, nursery, and feeding grounds for fish and invertebrates. When coral reefs are restored, they can once again offer the complex structures, niches, and food resources that numerous marine organisms depend on for survival. This increased biodiversity not only contributes to the resilience of marine ecosystems but also promotes a balanced marine environment where different species can thrive together.

The other options offer benefits but do not encapsulate the primary ecological role that coral restoration plays. While increasing human recreational opportunities and focusing solely on coral growth can have advantages, they do not directly address the broader impacts on marine biodiversity and habitat provision. Limiting fishing practices exclusively is also important, but it focuses more on human activity management rather than the foundational ecological significance of restoring coral to improve marine health. Therefore, enhancing habitats for diverse marine species through coral restoration is pivotal in fostering more robust and healthy marine ecosystems.