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The Indo-Pacific coral reef is disappearing at a faster rate than the Amazonian forest
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According to researchers from Chapel Hill University (North Carolina) the coral reef is disappearing at an alarming rate and it seems it can’t be stopped.
John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig worked on more than 6,000 studies covering 2600 coral reefs in the indo-pacific ocean. Those studies were conducted between 1968 and 2004, and analyzed the coral coverage on rocks to determine its health.
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Both researchers confirmed that this coverage is decreasing by 1% per year for the studied period. In comparison, the Amazonian forest “only” disappears at a rate of 0.4% per year.
The dramatic consequence of the regression of the coral is that, in 2003, only half of the coral living in 1980 is still alive. This indicates that the disappearing rate has drastically increased for the last 20 years.
Another similar study around the Caribbean islands indicate an even more alarming result with a decrease of the coral reefs by 1.5% per year with the possibly of totally disappearing within few years.
Despite the actions already taken to protect the rife:
- Banning fishing around the reef
- Decreasing the tourism exploitation in sensitive area
- Working against the pollution discharged in the ocean
the retreat of the coral will not stop without an international effort to reduce global warning.
Tree years ago, Andrew Baker, form Colombia University in New York predicted that coral could naturally adapt to the rise of the ocean temperature. It appears today that those conception where incorrect. Baker now thinks that research should be conducted to help coral resist to this temperature variation. One proposed solution was to introduce temperature resistant algae.
Whatever the solution is, time is now counted to save one our world treasure.
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