Coral Reefs in Danger

Coral reefs are sometimes called the rainforests of the sea. Although they cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, they are home to roughly a quarter of all marine species. They also protect coastlines from storms and provide food and income for hundreds of millions of people.

Many people assume that coral is a plant or a rock, but it is actually an animal. Each reef is built by tiny creatures called polyps, which produce a hard skeleton. Living inside the polyps are microscopic algae that provide them with food and give coral its brilliant colours.

When the water becomes too warm, corals become stressed and push out the algae living inside them. Without the algae, the coral turns white — a process known as bleaching. Bleached coral is not dead, but if the high temperatures continue, it will starve.

As ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, mass bleaching events have become more frequent and more severe. Scientists warn that, without significant action, most of the world's reefs could be seriously damaged by the middle of the century. Pollution, overfishing and careless tourism add to the pressure.

Interestingly, corals in the northern Red Sea appear to be unusually resistant to heat. Researchers believe this may be because their ancestors had to survive in very warm waters thousands of years ago. Scientists from around the world are now studying these "super corals" to understand whether their resilience could help reefs elsewhere.

Meanwhile, conservation projects are growing coral in underwater nurseries and replanting it on damaged reefs. Ultimately, however, experts agree that the most effective way to protect coral is to reduce carbon emissions and limit the warming of our oceans.