NEW YORK — A new report detailing the threat to coral reefs from global warming was released on May 6 by Greenpeace.
Coral reef damage from "bleaching" would endanger low-lying coastlines and island states, says the report, written by Dr Sandy Tudhope, a leading international coral expert.
At a press conference at the final negotiations on a climate convention, Greenpeace scientist Dr Jeremy Leggett said coral bleaching was a phenomenon now known to be associated with a rise in sea surface temperature.
Coral, when under stress, releases its symbiotic algae. In doing so, the coral loses its ability to grow, as well as its colour, hence the term "bleaching".
"We are releasing this report today in an attempt to steer these climate talks away from the dirty backroom politics and back to the scientific research and warnings which prompted the whole process in the first place", said Dr Leggett.
"There has been a drastic increase in the incidence of coral reefs bleaching, and it is demonstrably a result of increased sea surface temperature.
"Eight out of the last 10 years have been the hottest years on record. And, in that time, scientists have documented the largest incidence of coral bleaching, in huge areas of reef", he said.
"It is becoming increasingly unlikely that this is a coincidence."
The report says that increased coral bleaching and death could tip the balance "against the reefs' keeping up with sea level. The consequences of this would be disastrous; entire island states would become vulnerable to massive erosion and even to total removal during storms."
As well, "loss of reefs would severely damage the tourist-dependent economies of many less industrialised countries and would remove a major source of protein for subsistence fishermen."
Worldwide, 109 nations have coral reefs, and some nations, including the Marshalls and Maldives, are entirely made up of reef systems. The reefs in at least 93 of those nations are known to have suffered environmental degradation. The enormous range of damaging impacts includes overfishing, environmentally unsound coastal development and pollution from sewage dumping and oil spills.
[From Greenpeace/Pegasus.]