Almost all coral reef ecosystems face risk of collapse in 50 years, study warns
The world’s coral reef ecosystems almost all face a high risk of collapse in the next 50 years, mostly due to warming oceans and heat waves, according to a global assessment released Thursday. It's the latest dose of bad news for coral reefs, which are critical sources for seafood and tourism and often serve as buffers from coastal erosion and storms. Sometimes dubbed “rainforests of the sea,”…
A global assessment released on Thursday warns that nearly all coral reef ecosystems face a high risk of collapse within the next 50 years, primarily due to rising ocean temperatures and heat waves. Coral reefs, often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," are home to a quarter of all marine species and provide essential services such as coastal protection and tourism revenue.
However, a staggering 96 percent of shallow-water reef systems are already critically endangered and could vanish by 2075, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The most famous reef systems, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Coral Triangle in the Western Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and the Red Sea coral reefs, are all classified as critically endangered, the highest threat level.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Almost all coral reef ecosystems face risk of collapse in 50 years, study warns winnipegfreepress.com
- Almost every shallow-water coral reef on the planet faces ecosystem collapse by 2075, UN advisors say theguardian.com
- Almost all coral reef ecosystems face risk of collapse in 50 years, study warns koreatimes.co.kr
