Report: Almost all coral reefs at risk of collapse within 50 years

 

TT-AFP-AP

Published 14:53 

 

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the coral reefs deemed to be in "critical danger" of collapse. Photo: Gustav Sjöholm/TT

Almost all of the world’s shallow-water coral reefs face an "extremely high risk" of collapse before the year 2075 due to climate change.

The warning comes from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is the first of its kind. According to the report, 96 percent of the world’s coral reefs—including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia—are considered to be in "critical danger."

Mishal Gudka, a scientific lead for the IUCN Red List, suggests that the report’s findings should be viewed as a wake-up call rather than a cause for despair.

"Coral reefs have shown a remarkable ability to recover," says Gudka.

According to him, it remains possible that "pockets" of resilient coral reefs will persist into the future.

Coral reefs, sometimes referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," are vital to marine ecosystems.