Coral Reefs Under Threat from Climate Warming
New scientific studies reveal that coral reefs are facing severe pressure from global warming, with ocean acidification posing a significant threat to marine life.
Research indicates that warm-water coral reefs have crossed a tipping point due to global heating, resulting in an accelerated rate of death from repeated mass bleaching events. This affects hundreds of millions of people who rely on coral reefs for fishing, tourism, and protection from rising seas and storm surges.
Global average temperatures have risen to 1.3-1.4C above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the thermal tipping point of coral reefs, which is estimated to be 1.2C of warming.
If the trend is not reversed, coral reefs around the world will be lost.
The second Global Tipping Points report, released on Monday, was produced by over 160 scientists in 23 countries, led by the Global Systems Institute at the UK’s University of Exeter.
Author's summary: Coral reefs face severe threat from climate warming.