Nearly 44 percent of warm-water coral species are threatened with extinction

Almost half of the coral species that build reefs in warm waters are at risk of extinction, environmental groups have warned of the damaging effects of human activity following a global assessment. This was announced by the participants of the United Nations climate conference in Baku.

Before the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan, the conservation status of all 892 species included in the Red List of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was analyzed.

Corals live in shallow, warm habitats, creating colorful reefs found in tropical and subtropical oceanic areas. Coral reefs, which have been established for tens of thousands of years, are among the most diverse marine ecosystems.

IUCN analysis published today showed 44 percent of them, or almost half, are threatened, up from a third in 2008, when reef-building corals were last assessed for the Red List of endangered plants, animals and ecosystems.

The information was released as world leaders gather in Baku to discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, the two main threats to reef-building coral.

"This global assessment of corals clearly illustrates the serious human impact on the climate, which is rapidly changing life on Earth and underlines the seriousness of the consequences," said Dr. Grethel Aguilar, director of IUCN. “Healthy ecosystems like coral reefs are essential for human life, food supply, coastal stabilization and carbon storage; protecting our biodiversity is not just for our well-being, but for our survival.”

"We must take bold and decisive steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we want to ensure a sustainable future for humanity," she concluded.

In addition to climate change, coral ecosystems are also affected by other negative events such as bleaching, pollution, dumping of agricultural waste into seas and oceans, various diseases and unsustainable fishing.

The assessments included the latest data from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) data for future global warming scenarios.

Among the species analyzed are "staghorn" corals (Acropora palmata) and Acropora cervicornis, two critically endangered Caribbean species whose populations have almost completely disappeared from reefs due to rapid warming, water pollution, hurricanes and serious coral diseases.

IUCN coordinator Beth Polidoro said that "if we act now, we can slow the pace of ocean warming and extend the window of opportunity for corals to adapt and survive in the long term."

She added that “this is not just about preserving the spectacular beauty of coral reefs. Coral ecosystems are both important as they support coastal fishing communities, stabilize shorelines and coastal habitats, and help remove carbon from the oceans, among other benefits."

The key solution to saving corals from extinction is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take additional actions to increase the species' resilience, IUCN experts believe.

Also ongoing are assessments of cold-water corals found in deep, cold waters around the world that do not depend on sunlight, which are threatened by overfishing, especially net fishing, offshore mining deep, drilling for oil and gas, or laying deep underwater cables, the IUCN warned. /Telegraph/