Almost all coral reefs risk 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. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s assessment, announced on the sidelines of a U.N. biodiversity conference in Albania, found that 96 percent of shallow-water reef systems are already…
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has released a global assessment warning that nearly all coral reef ecosystems face a high risk of collapse within the next 50 years. The assessment, announced at a U.N. biodiversity conference in Albania, found that 96% of shallow-water reef systems are critically endangered and could disappear by 2075.
Famous reef systems such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Triangle, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and the Red Sea coral reefs are all listed as critically endangered, the highest threat level. Despite showing resilience in the past, IUCN scientist Mishal Gudka urges the assessment as a "wake-up call" rather than despair, highlighting the potential for reefs to recover from bleaching events.
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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