Fears of collapse as coral reefs feel the heat
Under threat... coral can become bleached when water
temperatures are too high.
Photo: WWF
THE most spectacular stretch of coral reefs on the planet is in danger of
collapse from climate change, overfishing and pollution, according to a
report being presented today at the World Oceans Conference in Indonesia.
Scientists consider the region known as the "coral triangle" to be the
centre of marine life on Earth, teeming with fish and almost one-third of
the world's coral reefs. Covering 1 per cent of the planet from South-East
Asia to the Pacific, the area also supports about 100 million people.
But in the past 40 years, 40 per cent of the coral reefs and coastal
mangroves in the coral triangle have been lost because of pollution, coastal
development and overfishing, said a University of Queensland professor, Ove
Hoegh-Guldberg, who led the study commissioned by WWF.
"It's an astounding amount," Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said. "At the
moment the coral reefs are disappearing at about 1 to 2 per cent a year. You
don't have to be a brain surgeon to see that within 40 years we could lose
the rest. This may sound alarming but this is not alarmist. This is what we
are probably going to experience if we don't get our act together".
The report, The Coral Triangle and Climate Change, comes as ministers
involved in the coral triangle initiative, the international effort to
protect region, meet at the World Oceans Conference this week. Since the
initiative began in August 2007 environment groups have lobbied to declare
the region the largest marine reserve in the world.
Australia's Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, will join leaders from
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands
and East Timor at the meeting.
The new report examines two scenarios for the region under climate change,
one where an ambitious global agreement to prevent dangerous climate change
is struck at Copenhagen in December and one where this fails. The report
warns without decisive action on climate change, "many parts of the coral
triangle will be largely unliveable by the end of this century".
An ambitious global climate agreement would require the world to cut
greenhouse gases steeply by 2050 with all countries making commitments, the
report finds. Developed countries would need to cut their greenhouse
emissions by up to 40 per cent of 1990 levels.
The report warns the collapse of marine life will have a serious effect on
the 100 million people who live in the region.
"Some of the most impoverished people in the world, living on a knife edge
with respect to climate change, are going to be really seriously affected by
the decisions we take from Copenhagen onwards", Professor Hoegh-Guldberg
said.
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