Reefs at Risk

Reefs at Risk Highlighting the benefits of, threats to and opportunities to save coral reefs before they are destroyed forever. By nature, coral reefs are resilient.

Coral reefs, the “rainforests of the sea,” occupy less than 1 percent of the earth’s marine environment. Yet they are home to more than a quarter of the world’s marine fish species and tens of thousands of other species found nowhere else. Coral reefs provide a diverse array of goods and services to people around the world. They buffer coastlines from the ravages of storms. They serve as nurseries

for commercial and sport fish. They attract divers, snorkelers, and beachgoers. All told, reefs contribute an estimated $30 billion per year in economic benefits to society. Over the past several decades, however, 20 percent of the world’s reefs have been lost. More than 60 percent are currently at risk from local threats such as pervasive overfishing, untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, coastal development, and pollution from ships. Reefs also face the emerging global threat of climate change. As sea surface temperatures rise, many corals bleach and die. Furthermore, as carbon dioxide concentrations increase, the ocean becomes more acidic, making it difficult for reefs to build their complex and beautiful skeletons. They can bounce back from the effects of a particular threat. But these local threats combined with climate change pose a devastating “one-two punch” from which many reefs will be unable to recover.

Join us a 9:00am EST for a deeper dive into the ocean’s relationship with humanity. 🌊 Join the at ➡️ http://ow.ly/o7Gq...
01/16/2020

Join us a 9:00am EST for a deeper dive into the ocean’s relationship with humanity. 🌊 Join the at ➡️ http://ow.ly/o7Gq50xX2uf

Oceanographers are using technology from the gaming industry to map out the floor of the ocean, including the coral reef...
01/02/2020

Oceanographers are using technology from the gaming industry to map out the floor of the ocean, including the coral reefs. Red more:

Oceanographers are using technology from the gaming industry to map out the floor of the ocean, including the coral reefs.

12/06/2019

Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor and Director of the Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland discusses the findings of a new High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy analysis detailing the wide-ranging and severe impacts that climate change will have on the ocean and ocean-based economy and calls for a forward-looking, cooperative and equitable global response.

Download "The expected impacts of climate change on the ocean economy" released today: http://ow.ly/1fiV50xtHG0

Download "The Ocean as a Solution for Climate Change: 5 Opportunities for Action" report http://ow.ly/g51X50xtKpR

Explore coral bleaching alerts using data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via ResourceWatch:...
11/12/2019

Explore coral bleaching alerts using data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via ResourceWatch: http://ow.ly/QN4y50x8C8H

It’s crucial we preserve the world’s reefs from the increasing threat of warming ocean temperatures, pollution and mass ...
11/08/2019

It’s crucial we preserve the world’s reefs from the increasing threat of warming ocean temperatures, pollution and mass bleachings. ➡️http://ow.ly/MCas50x5L36

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Johnny Wood, Senior Writer, Formative Content Beneath the ocean’s surface, co…

An analysis in "Reefs at Risk Revisited" found that under a business-as-usual scenario for greenhouse gas emissions, rou...
10/30/2019

An analysis in "Reefs at Risk Revisited" found that under a business-as-usual scenario for greenhouse gas emissions, roughly half of the world’s reefs could experience enough thermal stress to induce severe bleaching in 5 out of 10 years during the 2030s. During the 2050s, this percentage is expected to grow to more than 95%. Learn more: http://ow.ly/o2Ll50wXIos

Roughly half of the world’s reefs could experience enough thermal stress to induce severe bleaching in five out of 10 years during the 2030s. During the 2050s, this percentage is expected to grow to more than 95 percent.

06/16/2019

A study from scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science offers a new way to accurately map coral reefs using a combination of Earth-orbiting satellites and field observations. This first-ever globa...

06/02/2019

Coral reefs are threatened, especially in Hawaii. But by taking these simple steps, you can help preserve these important homes for marine life.

New blog "6 Recent Signs of Hope for the "🌊 Indonesia Tackles Plastic⛴️ Electric Ferries🐟 Fighting Illegal Fishing in ...
05/01/2019

New blog "6 Recent Signs of Hope for the "
🌊 Indonesia Tackles Plastic
⛴️ Electric Ferries
🐟 Fighting Illegal Fishing in Africa
🐠 3 New Coral Triangle MPAs
⛅ Blue COP
🤝Heads of Govt Unite for Ocean
Read on: http://ow.ly/VxQ850tACkP

Plastic pollution and dying coral reefs may dominate the news, but beneath the surface, ocean conservation is making headway. Examples from Indonesia, Norway, Africa and more reveal signs of progress.

05/01/2019

The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and ther...

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