Climate Change: Coral Reefs Expected To Suffer Greatly, Study Finds
Did you know that coral reefs are home to fully 25% of the world’s marine life? Me neither. This latest report on the state of the world’s coral reefs would have been bad enough in its own right. Seems, once again, that climate change is a major culprit.
Here’s an excerpt from HuffPo…
“The chance to save the world’s coral reefs from damage caused by climate change is dwindling as man-made greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, scientists said in a study released on Sunday.
Around 70 percent of corals are expected to suffer from long-term degradation by 2030, even if strict emission cuts are enforced, according to the study.
“The window of opportunity to preserve the majority of coral reefs, part of the world’s natural heritage, is small,” said Malte Meinshausen, co-author of the report published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
“We close this window if we follow another decade of ballooning global greenhouse-gas emissions.”
Coral reefs are home to almost a quarter of the world’s ocean species, they provide coastal protection and can support tourism and fishing industries for millions of people worldwide.
The rise of global average temperatures, warmer seas and the spread of ocean acidification due to greenhouse gas emissions, however, pose major threats to coral ecosystems.”
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Climate Change: Coral Reefs Expected To Suffer Greatly, Study Finds.
