The brink of disaster in the oceans: 96 percent of coral reefs are in danger of extinction

The agency, considered the top authority on threatened wildlife, has classified 96 percent of the planet's coral reef systems as "critically endangered," the highest risk category.

RAINFORESTS OF THE SEAS MAY DISAPPEAR BY 2075

The report, announced at the United Nations COP17 Biodiversity Summit held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, revealed that biodiversity in the oceans is facing a severe collapse. Seawater temperature increases caused by human-induced climate change cause corals to bleach and die en masse.

Experts warn that coral reefs may be completely wiped off the map by 2075 if necessary precautions are not taken. When a reef collapses, the hard coral tissue disappears, replaced by mounds of algae and debris; This situation completely destroys the habitat of thousands of marine creatures.

ALL GIANT ECOSYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, ARE ON RED ALERT

Within the scope of the expertise, 127 tropical and subtropical coral systems covering an area of more than 188 thousand square kilometers were examined. According to the results of the research, areas with the richest biodiversity in the world, such as the famous Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and the Red Sea reefs, are under direct threat of destruction.

Sometimes described as "rainforests of the seas", these structures not only host a quarter of all marine species, but also protect human settlements against storms by preventing coastal erosion.

GLOBAL WARMING AND EL NINO TRIGGER DISASTER

Scientists state that El Niño, the natural warming wave that has increased its effect recently, has also accelerated the process, and that the bleaching rate in the oceans has reached 84 percent.

On the other hand, experts emphasize that corals show the potential to renew themselves after destructive processes in the past, and that the ecosystem can be saved if resistant foci are preserved. The most vital issue underlined is that global carbon emissions must be urgently reduced for the future of the planet.