World's Coral Reefs Could Be Gone by 2050, Report Shows

Published by: The Claw on 23rd Feb 2011 | View all blogs by The Claw

World's Coral Reefs Could Be Gone by 2050, Report Shows

A report released Wednesday revealed shocking data about the world's coral reefs, indicating that they could all be gone by the year 2050 if action is not taken to protect them. The “rainforests of the sea”, as they're often called, are being jeopardized by warmer seas caused by global warming, ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide pollution, shipping, overfishing, coastal development, and agricultural runoff, the report said.

The report indicates that more than 90 percent of the Earth's coral reefs will be threatened by the year 2030 and close to 100 percent are at risk of extinction by 2050 if nothing is done. “Warming seas have already caused widespread damage to reefs, with high temperatures driving a stress response called coral bleaching, where corals lose their colorful symbiotic algae, exposing their white skeletons,” the report said.

“In addition, increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are slowly causing the world's oceans to become more acidic. Ocean acidification reduces coral growth rates and, if unchecked, could reduce their ability to maintain their physical structure.”

The report said that quick, broadly applied action could go a long way toward saving the reefs, which are historically fairly resilient. The report's authors urge policymakers around the world to minimize local threats, particularly overfishing and greenhouse gas emissions. If no efforts to save the reefs are made, the report says, the livelihoods of some 500 million people around the world will be threatened, particularly in developing countries in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

The Claw

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