As our world is just a huge jigsaw puzzle where every pieces are connected, solving an environmental issue might help solve another one. Ending deforestation on land would have indeed an important positive effect to coral reefs growing near rivers.
As Jaymi Heimbuch noted for Treehugger : ” The researchers found that mitigating erosion on land is more important to saving coral reefs right now than even addressing climate change. “
Given how fighting deforestation helps reducing global warming, I guess it makes it a triple win : win for the land, wind for the climate and win for the seas.