Rapid population growth has vastly increased fishing pressure on reefs across the region. Moreover the profits to be made in the live reef food fish and aquarium trades have led to both widespread species overfishing by local and foreign vessels and to the proliferation of destructive techniques. Lack of information is inhibiting effective decisionmaking. The Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia (RRSEA) project was therefore designed to address this deficiency through an extensive data compilation and improvement effort. It aims to raise awareness about threats to coral reefs and provide resource managers with specific information and tools to manage coastal habitats in Southeast Asia more effectively.