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The Pacific is biologically unique, as its isolated islands provide ideal conditions for the evolution of new species. Thus, Pacific islands have high numbers of "endemic"species - species that are restricted to only one or a few islands and found nowhere else in the world.

This Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008 report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network summarises what has happened to the world's coral reefs since 2004 and uses expert opinion of coral reef scientists and managers from 96 countries and states to make predictions on what could happen to coral reefs in the future. This combined expertise also seeks to provide advice to the world's decision makers on what should be done to allow us to bequeath healthy coral reefs to future generations. The release of this report coincides with the end of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008), which has focussed considerable global attention on coral reefs.