World’s coral reefs ‘could be gone by 2050’

THE world’s coral reefs could be wiped out by 2050 unless urgent action is taken to stop threats posed to the “rainforests of the sea” by everything from over-fishing to global warming, a major report warned yesterday.

Warmer seas caused by global warming; ocean acidification blamed on carbon dioxide pollution; shipping, over-fishing, coastal development and agricultural runoff all pose a threat to coral reefs, which hundreds of millions of people depend on for a living, says the report.

“If left unchecked, more than 90% of reefs will be threatened by 2030 and nearly all reefs will be at risk by 2050,” says the “Reefs at Risk Revisited” report, which was compiled by dozens of research, conservation and educational groups led by the World Resources Institute think-tank.