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Coral reefs get stressed out, too—and, in severe but increasingly common cases, stress leads to death. In fact, 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs could be dead by 2030.
But corals can’t just kick back and relax—instead, they respond by bleaching, a startling stress response that transforms the vibrant reefs into bony graveyards. Coral bleaching has already severely damaged or killed some 30 percent of coral reefs in our oceans.
The largest living structures on the planet, coral reefs are important for biodiversity as well as for the millions of tourism dollars they bring in. They also provide food for some 500 million people around the world. Coral reefs cover a fraction of our sea floors—less than 1 percent—but they contain a quarter of all marine life.
Global warming causes water temperatures to rise slightly. It only takes a change of one or two degrees Celsius, sustained over a single month, to bleach coral to its death. The warmer temperatures cause the coral to expel algae necessary for its survival. Some coral starve without the algae, leaving our oceans with vast coral graveyards, a bleached reminder of the life it once contained.
What The Nature Conservancy is Doing.
The Nature Conservancy and partners have identified certain coral communities that have survived bleaching, and we are trying to understand the factors that contribute to their resilience, so we can build resilience into other coral areas. We support international initiatives to protect marine habitats; in Micronesia, we are working with partners to conserve 30 percent of their coastal areas, which include coral reefs, by 2020.
Action starts when people talk.
In the midst of dire warnings about dying reefs, there are reasons for hope and things we can do as individuals. First, start a conversation about the issue with friends, family and colleagues. Take a look at our Conversation Starters. And, learn more about our work by visiting related projects on the Conservancy’s web site, nature.org.
