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24 Feb 2011: Local and Global Risks Threaten
75 Percent of Coral Reefs, Report Says

Seventy-five percent of the planet’s coral reefs are already threatened by a variety of local and global pressures, including pollution, overfishing, and the effects of climate change, a comprehensive new analysis by the World Resources Institute (WRI) says. The most immediate risks come from local

Is the End in Sight for
The World’s Coral Reefs?

It is a difficult idea to fathom. But the science is clear: Unless we change the way we live, the Earth’s coral reefs will be utterly destroyed within our children's lifetimes, writes coral expert J.E.N. Veron.
READ THE e360 REPORT

factors, with coastal development, pollution and “destructive” fishing degrading more than 60 percent of coral reefs today, according to the report. But the added effects of climate change, including coral bleaching and ocean acidification, could make more than 90 percent of the world’s reefs vulnerable by 2030 — and nearly all reefs by 2050. The most vulnerable areas are in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. The report, which was compiled with numerous partner organizations including the Nature Conservancy and the Coral Reef Action Network, recommends policies to better protect and manage coral resources, including the designation of more marine protected areas and stricter oversight of existing protected areas. “Reefs are resilient, and by reducing the local pressures we can buy time as we find global solutions to preserve reefs for future generations,” said Lauretta Burke, a senior associate at the WRI and lead author of the report.

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Is the End in Sight for The World’s Coral Reefs?

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South African photojournalist Adam Welz documents the harrowing relocation of six white rhinos to a region that has lost all its rhinos to poaching. View the gallery.

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