Great Barrier Reef, Australia (photo: Wise Hok Wai Lum, Wikimedia)
An international analysis of coral reefs found a global loss in reef area of 14 percent since 2009 – about 4,517 square miles – as rising sea surface temperatures take their toll.
The largest analysis of global coral reef health ever undertaken, “Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020,” documents the loss drawing on data from 12,000 sites in 73 countries between 2009 and 2018. The report, the sixth edition produced by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), provides the most detailed scientific picture to date of the toll elevated temperatures have taken on the world’s reefs.
According to a statement by network scientists:
“Corals reefs across the world are under relentless stress from warming caused by climate change and other local pressures such as overfishing, unsustainable coastal development and declining water quality.
“An irrevocable loss of coral reefs would be catastrophic. Although reefs cover only 0.2 per cent of the ocean floor they are home to at least a quarter of all marine species, providing critical habitat and a fundamental source of protein, as well as life-saving medicines. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of people around the world depend on them for food, jobs and protection from storms and erosion.
“However, the report also found that many of the world’s coral reefs remain resilient and can recover if conditions allow, providing hope for the long-term health of coral reefs if immediate steps are taken to stabilize emissions to curb future warming.”