Study: In less than a decade, 14 percent of the world's coral reefs were wiped out


Between 2009 and 2018, about 14 percent of the world's coral was lost, primarily due to climate change, scientists say in a report released Tuesday by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
Coral reefs are found in more than 100 countries around the world, providing habitat for about 25 percent of marine life while also serving as a source for food, jobs, and medicine. The study is the largest-ever analysis of coral reef health, with data collected by 300 scientists in 73 countries over the span of four decades. It also found that between 2010 and 2019, reef algae — which grows when coral is stressed — increased by 20 percent.
Higher sea surface temperatures caused by global warming are the main factor in coral bleaching events, the scientists said, with overfishing and coastal developments also playing a role in coral loss. "There are clearly unsettling trends toward coral loss, and we can expect these to continue as warming persists," Paul Hardisty, CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, told The Guardian. "Despite this, some reefs have shown a remarkable ability to bounce back, which offers hope for the future recovery of degraded reefs."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hardisty said the study has a "clear message," and that is "that climate change is the biggest threat to the world's reefs, and we must all do our part by urgently curbing global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating local pressures."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messages
Feature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Diddy: An abuser who escaped justice?
Feature The jury cleared Sean Combs of major charges but found him guilty of lesser offenses
-
Death from above: Drones upend rules of war in Ukraine
Feature The world's militaries are paying close attention to drone use in the Russia-Ukraine war
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
-
A zombie volcano is coming back to life, but there is no need to worry just yet
Under the radar Uturuncu's seismic activity is the result of a hydrothermal system
-
'Bioelectric bacteria on steroids' could aid in pollutant cleanup and energy renewal
Under the radar The new species is sparking hope for environmental efforts
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beat
speed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study
-
Earth's oceans were once green and could one day turn purple
Under the radar The current blue may be temporary
-
Humans heal much slower than other mammals
Speed Read Slower healing may have been an evolutionary trade-off when we shed fur for sweat glands