All tropical coral reefs could collapse within 50 years

 

Image courtesy of Mathilde Maslin

Joel Kontinen

Some researchers think that the corrals will be destroyed in 50 yeas,   Some,  however feel  that corrals can withstand  rising temperatures.  

Imagine a world without tropical coral reefs, a world nearly devoid of iconic species like elkhorn and pillar corals and sea creatures like the clownfish from Finding Nemo. That world could come to pass within 50 years due to humanity’s continuing fossil fuel emissions.

At least 96 per cent of shallow-water coral reef ecosystems are at extremely high risk of collapsing by 2075, according to an assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the leading authority on endangered species. The remaining ecosystems weren’t evaluated due to lack of data, but are probably just as vulnerable, according to Marcos Valderrábano at the IUCN.

Source:

Alec Luhn 2026 All tropical coral reefs could collapse within 50 years | New Scientist 22 October