Coral reefs could be 'wiped out by 2050', new research reveals

Wanderlust -

Three-quarters of the world's coral reefs are in danger of dying, due to pollution, overfishing and climate change.

The planet’s underwater wonderlands are in crisis, with 75% of coral reefs at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change, according to a report.

Scuba divers will be shocked by the Reefs at Risk report's warning that, by 2050, virtually all of the world's coral reefs will be in serious danger.

“Make no mistake. This is a critical time for ocean eco-systems in general but especially for coral reefs,” said Lauretta Burke, a lead author of the report by the World Resources Institute in Washington.

The report identified 27 nations - most in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian oceans - that are socially and economically vulnerable if coral reefs are degraded or lost.

Among those 27, the nine most vulnerable are Comoros, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Indonesia, Kiribati, Philippines, Tanzania and Vanuatu.

The most immediate threat to reefs is overfishing, which could be devastating for countries in south-east Asia and the Caribbean that depend heavily on reefs for tourism and food.

Other threats include destructive fishing methods such as explosives or poison, pollution from industry and agriculture, and unsustainable tourism.

The report says that the combined effects of climate change, including coral bleaching and increased ocean acidity due to carbon dioxide emissions, will overwhelm even the most dedicated conservation efforts, such as in Australia where about 85% of reefs are protected from fishing.

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