IUCN Report: Shallow Reefs at Risk of Widespread Failure Within Decades
The International Union for Conservation of Nature assessed the world’s major shallow coral reefs and found that 96 percent could lose their ecological and human-support functions by 2075. That would threaten marine habitat and the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs.
The IUCN assessment covered the world’s major shallow coral reef systems. It concluded that 96 percent of them could cease to perform their ecological roles and their functions for people by 2075.
The finding points to risks for marine habitat and for the hundreds of millions of people who rely on reefs. It places shallow reefs among ecosystems facing possible widespread failure in the coming decades.
Coastal populations among the hundreds of millions who depend on reefs could be affected if those systems lose their ecological and human-support roles. Marine life relying on reef habitat may also face disruption. The effects could extend to ocean health and to communities that benefit from reef-related services, though the scale and timing remain uncertain.