Coral reefs, crucial ecosystems that host a quarter of all marine species, have reached their first major tipping point due to rapidly rising marine temperatures. The widespread death of warm-water coral reefs has sparked concerns about the planet’s ability to recover from climate change. With half of the world’s live coral cover disappearing over the last 50 years, scientists warn that individual corals can’t recover if warming and acidifying oceans continue.
The problem lies in coral reefs’ evolutionary compromise: their symbiotic algae, which provide energy, make them vulnerable to marine heat waves. As a result, corals release their algae, causing bleaching. The situation is dire, with 80% of the world’s reefs suffering from intense bleaching events since 2023.
The report highlights three key issues:
1. **Insufficient greenhouse gas emissions reduction**: Nations are not ambitious enough in reducing emissions, putting unprecedented stress on coral reefs.
2. **Tipping points could be catastrophic**: Changes like ocean current shifts can have devastating consequences, such as plunging Europe into deep freezes.
3. **Reinforcing crises**: Irreversible changes exacerbate other crises, like droughts worsening if the Amazon turns into a savanna.
However, scientists see a positive tipping point in the price of renewable energy technologies, which are becoming more economical. This acceleration can help mitigate climate change and prevent further tipping points.
To address this crisis, local efforts can make a difference:
1. **Marine protected areas**: Preserving biodiversity helps reefs recover.
2. **Reducing overfishing**: Preventing fish populations collapse.
3. **Policing pollution**: Removing stressors like sewage and agriculture pollution from coastal areas.
The report’s authors emphasize the need for a new approach to governance, focusing on prevention rather than just existing policies. The “race is on” to transform society’s energetic basis within a generation, away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner, safer alternatives.
Source: https://grist.org/oceans/coral-reefs-climate-tipping-point