UN Assessment Warns of Shallow Water Coral Reef Collapse by 2075
· World · The Guardian, Times of India
Almost every shallow-water coral reef on Earth, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, faces ecosystem collapse before 2075 due to global heating, according to a United Nations-backed assessment. Conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and coordinated across 80 countries, the report found that 24% of reefs are already critically endangered, a figure that rises to 96% when factoring in projected temperature increases. Coral reefs support a quarter of all marine species and provide food and shoreline protection for hundreds of millions of people. Scientists stated that rapid cuts to fossil fuel emissions and local conservation efforts could still prevent the worst outcomes.
Why it matters
The potential collapse of coral ecosystems threatens marine biodiversity and the food security and coastal protection of millions of people worldwide.
Read the original report — The Guardian
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