I think "people" are smart enough, that there is a good chance any man-made issues can/will be resolved with time (acidification/global warming). It's the natural disasters that are really making it difficult on mother nature. I can't speak for Indo-Pacific areas, but the Caribbean seems to be getting it's butt kicked right now. Our trip to Cozumel was a huge disappointment. It's been several years since the last hurricane, and I saw 2 stony corals on our dives. 2! Then the keys were blasted with this winter's cold shock, killing thousands upon thousands of corals (as I've been told, anyway).
Ken Nedimeyer had supposedly been doing an awesome job with his work with staghorn corals (raising over 4000 colonies), and I think it's mostly dead as well.
From what I gather (and that may not be much, somedays), at the Acropora convention last fall, there are lots of ideas pertaining to conservation/restoration efforts, but with everything, it is ruled by the almighty dollar. So until someone signs a big, fat check, or the government ponies up some grant monies, I'm not sure how much work can/will get done.:fun2:
On the bright side, everyone can educate others, and show the avenues where one can volunteer time and money. Even talking to non-fish nerds, you never know who has a rich relative that might be interested in dropping some coin for a good cause.