NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has a great video and other resources that help us understand how coral reefs aren’t just another pretty ecosystem. They’re also “storehouses of genetic resources with vast potential for medicines.” We need to keep them healthy to keep ourselves healthy.

Some examples of ways that the health of humans and coral reefs intersect are:

anti-inflammatory agent gorgonian coral (genus Pseudoterigorgia)
anti-tuberculosis agent gorgonian coral (genus Pseudoterigorgia)
orthopedic implants coral skeleton
anti-viral drugs sponge (Cryptotethya crypta)
anti-malarial agent sponge (genus Cymbastela)
anti-cancer drug sponge (genus Jaspis)
anti-cancer drug tunicate (Ecteinacidia turbinata)
anti-cancer drug bryozoan (Bugula neritina)
anti-cancer drug seahare (Dolabella auricularia)

http://stateofthecoast.noaa.gov/coral/coral_humanhealth.html