Scientists still expect that more than 90 per cent of corals will die by 2050.

The world has lost roughly half its coral reefs in the last 30 years. Scientists are now scrambling to ensure that at least a fraction of these unique ecosystems survives beyond the next three decades.

The health of the planet depends on it:

• Coral reefs support a quarter of all marine species,
• as well as half a billion people around the world.

More about Coral Reefs:

• “To lose coral reefs is to fundamentally undermine the health of a very large proportion of the human race,”.
• Coral reefs produce some of the oxygen we breathe.
• Often described as underwater rainforests, they populate a tiny fraction of the ocean but provide habitats for one in four marine species.
• Reefs also form crucial barriers protecting coastlines from the full force of storms.
• They provide billions of dollars in revenue from tourism, fishing and other commerce, and are used in medical research for cures to diseases including cancer, arthritis and bacterial or viral infections.
• Corals are invertebrates, living mostly in tropical waters.
• They secrete calcium carbonate to build protective skeletons that grow and take on impressive colors, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with algae that live in their tissues and provide them with energy.

Cause of Concern:

• But corals are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and are suffering from rising ocean temperatures and acidification, as well as from overfishing, pollution, coastal development and agricultural runoff.

Source: The Hindu