Certain human activities like fishing, shipping, sedimentation, recreational use and untreated sewage are posing a threat to the coral reefs of the U.S.

The NOAA report on the state of coral reefs in the United States and Pacific territories, including Palau and Guam, was presented at a meeting of coral reef scientists in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The report shows the dilapidated condition of U.S. coral reefs.

Due to the acidification of the oceans many living creatures depending on an alkaline environment may stop forming their shells and skeletons.

According to McCullough, the coralline algae is likely to cause the reefs to crumble away.

The unusually warm waters have led to immense blanching and diseases on several reefs, thereby, killing almost 90 percent of the marine organisms.

The program manager of the Coral Reef Conservation program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Kacky Andrews, called upon the community to act in favour of saving the coral reef ecosystems.