Report: Almost all coral reefs are at risk of collapse within 50 years

Almost all of the world’s shallow-water coral reefs are at ‘extremely high risk’ of collapse by 2075 as a result of climate change.

The warning comes from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is the first of its kind. According to the report, 96 per cent of the world’s coral reefs, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, are assessed as being in ‘critical danger’.

Mishal Gudka, scientific lead for the IUCN Red List, believes the report’s conclusions should be seen as a wake-up call rather than a cause for despair.

Coral reefs have shown a remarkable ability to recover, says Gudka.

According to him, it is still possible that ‘pockets’ of resilient coral reefs will remain in the future.

Coral reefs, sometimes referred to as the ‘rainforests of the sea’, are vital to marine ecosystems.