One of the most obvious ways in which tourism-related development has impacted
the coastal environment is the affect of tourism and tourist activities on coral reefs.
‘Coral reefs are very vulnerable, and adverse human activities may result in a lower
capacity to regenerate, or the death of entire coral colonies’. Tourists can
directly impact coral reefs in a number of ways. Skin divers and snorkelers can
damage coral by hitting it with their fins. In order to restrict such damage, Vanuatu
has been actively educating divers on the importance of maintaining correct
buoyancy. On Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, reef walking by tourists at low tide has
resulted in substantial damage to sections of the reef within easy shore access.