Take responsibility for your own backyard. Determine whether additional nutrients or pesticides are needed before you apply them, and look for alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides where the chance of runoff into surface waters might occur. Even if you live far from a coral reef ecosystem, these products might ultimately affect the waters that support coral. Consider selecting plants and grasses with low maintenance requirements. Water your lawn conservatively; the less water you use, the less runoff will eventually find its way into the oceans.