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- Coral reefs also have a significant impact on coastal communities, with one billion people benefiting from their existence. They provide food and livelihoods, reduce storm surge and flood risk to coastlines across the tropics, protect against erosion and attract tourists to over 100 countries and territories.
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Dec 13, 2021 · Despite their importance, coral reefs face local and global threats including nutrient runoff from land sources like agriculture or deforestation, overfishing and climate change. Without immediate action to protect and restore coral reefs, they could cease to provide the essential goods and services valued by communities worldwide.
Climate change affects coral reef ecosystems by increasing sea surface temperatures and leads to coral bleaching, disease, sea level rise and storm activity. Additionally, increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere changes ocean chemistry and harms reef-building corals.
Jun 16, 2024 · Climate change is the greatest global threat to coral reef ecosystems. Scientific evidence now clearly indicates that the Earth's atmosphere and ocean are warming, and that these changes are primarily due to greenhouse gases derived from human activities.
What are the threats to coral reefs? Over the last three decades, the world has lost half of its reefs. The combination of destructive fishing practices, polluted water entering the ocean, coastal development, shipping - and climate change causing rapid ocean warming has led to mass coral death.
Feb 10, 2020 · Climate change poses an existential threat to the world’s coral reefs as well as to the ocean ecosystems and human economies they support. The situation is more urgent in the tropics, where ...
- Katherine Bourzac
The world's coral reefs are at risk from a phenomenon called bleaching. However, as waters warm, and the delicate marine ecosystem becomes sick, or stressed, the mutually beneficial relationship...
Jun 4, 2020 · June 4, 2020. • 9 min read. The world’s coral reefs do more for the planet than provide underwater beauty. They buffer shorelines from the effects of hurricanes. An estimated 500 million...