Diver with coral. (Photo credit: Robert Richmond)
Coral reefs could be almost extinct in 30 to 50 years, under the worst-case scenario, according to an international group of scientific experts, including University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa research professor
Robert H. Richmond, who identified and discussed the requirements for coral reef survival in an article in
More than 500 million people rely on coral reefs for the protection they confer against coastal damage from waves, the fisheries resources they offer, the cultural practices they support and the tourism they help attract. Yet these ecosystems are among the most threatened by global climate change. Since the 1980s, there has been a rise in the number of mass bleaching episodes, during which corals expel the microscopic algae that keep them alive.
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To commemorate Earth Day 2021, AZoCleantech looks at coral reef damage and if restoration projects are enough to save our underwater ecosystems.
Earth’s coral reefs are in danger, with climate change and environmental damage already responsible for the ongoing destruction of the world’s reefs. Restoration attempts are underway, but are they enough to halt the death of these important living ecosystems?
Coral reefs rank amongst the most diverse ecosystems on the face of planet Earth, playing host to thousands of different species of animals.
These reefs are now dying at an alarming rate as they have been exposed to a wide range of stressors, such as rising ocean temperatures, increasing pollution, and over-fishing. These factors are causing bleaching events that result in mass coral deaths.