I'm by no means an avid snorkeler, but I've gone a few times in my life on various vacations. I've seen fish almost the same size as myself, accidentally stared down a barracuda, and even had a close encounter with a rather large stingray once in Mexico.

Each time, however, I've had this quiet voice in the back of my head wondering why the reef never looked the same as it does in the pages of National Geographic.

Earlier this week, I got a little big of insight from the Smithsonian Institute's Sant Chair for Marine Science, Dr. Nancy Knowlton, who gave a presentation to NRDC experts about her work with coral ("Coral Reefs: Present, past and future").

Turns out, I might have had better luck in the '70s, since she said 80 percent of coral in the Caribbean has disappeared in the last 30 years (Pacific reefs are not far behind). One third of reef-building coral face extinction risk from climate change and local impacts, according to Dr. Knowlton. And one of the simplest, but most important points she made was - when we're talking about reefs - we're not just talking about coral. We're really talking about all the life connected to it.

Dr. Knowlton gave a really good breakdown of the threats facing coral, but my favorite takeaway from her presentation was the succinct solutions for protecting coral reefs that she offered:

Short term solutions for healthy coral reefs (things we know how to do)

1. Control fishing pressure so life eats seaweed in the water. This doesn't mean banning all fishing - it means finding a structure that makes sense.
2. Improve water quality. We can do this in a lot of ways, for example: green infrastructure improvements to our cities (like green roofs, permeable pavement, natural landscaping and rain barrels) to stop polluted runoff from contaminating waterways.

Long term solutions for healthy coral reefs (things that are more difficult)

1. We have to reduce the CO2 in our atmosphere that is causing global warming, dissolving in our seas and making the oceans acidic. You can help by reducing your personal energy consumption - tips for doing this are here.
2. Capture and restore the diversity of life in the sea. Do you part by choosing sustainable seafood options rather than eating struggling fish populations or fish caught in a destructive manner. Check the status of your favorite fish at Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch here. Or find out on the spot by texting "FishPhone," Blue Ocean Institute's instant text message service to immediately assess specific fish and get alternatives to poor choices.  Just send a text to 30644 and in the body write "fish" and the name of the fish you are curious about (for example: "fish salmon"). They will reply back to your phone.

Marine Protected Areas (think underwater national parks, or as I prefer - Yosemites of the sea) are one of the best things we can do to help our oceans be resilient in the face of the threats facing them. Australia, for example, put one third of the Great Barrier Reef on a "no take" protection and saw great success, Dr. Knowlton said.

Right now less than 2 percent of the world's reefs are protected - that number must go up. A great start would be a national network of Marine Protected Areas to give our coral reefs - and our seas - a chance to bounce back.