Forty-four per cent of reef-building coral species globally are at risk of extinction, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals following a global assessment announced at the ongoing COP29 UN climate conference in Azerbaijan.
The conservation status of 892 warm-water reef-building coral species has now been reassessed for the IUCN Red List, and analysis shows that 44% are threatened. The threats to reef-building corals were last assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2008, and at that time one third were found to be threatened.
“As world leaders gather at the UN climate conference in Baku, this global coral assessment vividly illustrates the severe impacts of our rapidly changing climate on life on Earth and drives home the severity of the consequences,” said IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar.
“Healthy ecosystems like coral reefs are essential for human livelihoods—providing food, stabilising coastlines, and storing carbon. The protection of our biodiversity is not only vital for our well-being but crucial for our survival. Climate change remains the leading threat to reef-building corals and is devastating the natural systems we depend on. We must take bold, decisive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions if we are to secure a sustainable future for humanity.”
Climate change is the main threat to reef-building coral species. The assessments considered the most recent status update of coral reefs from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), alongside current and future threats, such as the projected increase in warming events and major bleaching events, using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) data for future warming scenarios.
In addition to climate change and related severe bleaching events, corals are affected by other pervasive threats including pollution, agricultural runoff, disease and unsustainable fishing.
“We need to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions alongside action to address local threats if we want to give coral reefs a chance to survive,” said Beth Polidoro, IUCN Species Survival Commission Coral Red List Authority Coordinator and Associate Professor, School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University.
“By acting now, we can slow the pace of ocean warming and broaden the window of opportunity for corals to potentially adapt and survive in the long term. This is not just about preserving the spectacular beauty of coral reefs. Coral ecosystems also sustain coastal fishing communities, stabilise the shoreline and coastal habitats, and help remove carbon from the ocean, among other benefits.”
Offical Facebook account of heerazhaveraat.com, homepage for Trade News, Articles and Promotion of D
Heera Zhaveraat (HZ International) A Diamond, Watch and Jewellery Trade Promotion Magazine provide dealers and manufactures with the key analytical information they need to succeed in the luxury industry. Pricing, availability and market information in the Magazine provides a critical edge.
