Coral Reefs At Risk

Three-quarters of world's coral reefs in danger of dying owing to pollution, overfishing and climate change, according to a report.

By 2050 virtually all of the world's coral reefs – from the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean to Australia – will be in danger, the report warns. The consequences – especially for countries such as the Philippines or Haiti which depend on the reefs for food – will be severe.

The reefs of south-east Asia are in the most acute peril – with 95% on the danger list; 75% of the reefs in the Caribbean are also threatened, including all those in Florida, Haiti and Jamaica. But even Australia, where reefs are protected, will be in the danger zone by the middle of the century if climate change is left unchecked.

The most immediate threat to reefs is overfishing, which has put about half of the world's reefs in peril. In the Indian and Pacific Oceans the danger is particularly acute, because of overfishing and extreme methods which use dynamite and other explosives to blast fish out of the water.

The loss of reefs owing to overfishing could be devastating for countries in south-east Asia and the Caribbean, which depend heavily on coral for tourist revenue and food. Some 275 million people live within 30km of reefs, the report says.

Other threats include pollution, from industrial and agricultural development. But, in the 13 years since scientists took their last in-depth look at reefs, climate change has posed a growing danger.

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