Coral reef could disappear by 2100

The most world’s most important region of coral reefs is set to disappear by the end of the century due to climate change and overfishing, the WWF has warned.

Unless decisive action is taken now, the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia will be wiped out by 2100, the WWF said in its report, launched last week at the World’s Oceans Conference in Indonesia.

The Coral Triangle spans the coastlines of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.

At a conservative estimate, 40% of the reefs in the region have already been lost, WWF said.

If the Coral Triangle is completely wiped out, the consequences will be widespread and devastating for the world’s climate, food supplies, and people living in the region.

The region covers just 1% of the earth’s surface, but is home to 30% of the world’s coral reefs, 76% of the world’s reef building coral species, and 35% of its coral reef fish.

Furthermore, the coral reefs provide a vital spawning ground for economically important fish such as tuna.

Around 100 million people rely on the reef for their livelihoods. Losing the reef would destroy local economies and break down communities.

Without the reef, the capacity of the region’s coastal environment to feed people would drop by 80%, creating millions of climate refugees searching for food and employment.

“Up until now we haven’t realized how quickly this system is changing,” said the report’s chief author, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg.

“In the last 40 years in the Coral Triangle, we’ve lost 40% of coral reefs and mangroves - and that’s probably an underestimate.

“Pollution, the inappropriate use of coastal areas, these are destroying the productivity of ocean which is plummeting right now. That is the system that traps CO2 - 40% of CO2 goes into the ocean.

“Now if we interrupt that, the problems on planet earth become even greater.”

The WWF said world leaders must take action now to protect the earth’s oceans

Emily Lewis-Brown, marine climate change officer at WWF-UK, said: “The effects of climate change on the oceans are global and only strong and urgent action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions can hope to mitigate this threat.

“WWF calls on world leaders to agree a strong and fair Global Climate Deal at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.”