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Alarm Bells Ring Out For Reef-building Corals
10th july 2008
A major new report in Science, published online today, 10th July, reveals that a third of the world's reef building coral species face an elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts. This alarming picture is the outcome of a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of coral species by the world's leading coral experts, using the IUCN Red List Criteria.
The study found that the extinction risk of corals has increased dramatically over the past decade. Before the warm-water event in 1998 that caused coral bleaching and death on a massive scale, only 13 out of 704 coral species (less than 2%) were in the threatened categories, but now the list contains 231 species (33%). The proportion of threatened coral species exceeds that of most terrestrial animal groups apart from amphibians, indicating their apparent susceptibility to climate change.
Elizabeth Wood, MCS Coral Reef Conservation Officer and one of the 34 co-authors of the report, hopes that this analysis will be a wake-up call for renewed efforts to protect coral reefs. "Coral reefs are one of the planet's most incredible and diverse living systems and provide local communities in over 100 countries with food and other natural resources. With so many corals now clearly identified as being at risk, we need to do all that we can to keep reefs and coral healthy and prevent what could be disastrous losses to global marine biodiversity".
Ends
Notes for Editors
1 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), through its Species Survival Commission (SSC) has for more than four decades been assessing the conservation status of species on a global scale in order to highlight those threatened with extinction, and therefore promote their conservation. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are the most widely accepted system for classifying extinction risk at the species level. All data and results are freely and publicly available from IUCN.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/info/introduction
2 Coral bleaching is caused by small increases in sea surface temperature. A rise of 1-2oC over a few weeks results in the loss of the essential symbiotic algae that live in coral tissue. The coral loses its colour (bleaching), is stressed and subsequently may die.
3 The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection for marine life. MCS is celebrating 25 years of protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife this year. MCS is running a series of events, projects and campaigns in 2008 to highlight the need for better protection of our seas, celebrate the wildlife they support and give opportunities for people to take an active part - on land or at sea.
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Marine Conservation Society . Unit 3 Wolf Business Park . Alton Road . Ross On Wye . HR9 5NB
01989 566017 . info@mcsuk.org . www.mcsuk.org
MCS Scotland . 3 Coates Place . Edinburgh . EH3 7AA . 0131 2266360 . scotland@mcsuk.org
Registered charity no (England & Wales): 1004005 . Registered charity no (Scotland): SC037480
Company Limited by guarantee no. 2550966 . Registered in England VAT no. 489 1505 17
The study found that the extinction risk of corals has increased dramatically over the past decade. Before the warm-water event in 1998 that caused coral bleaching and death on a massive scale, only 13 out of 704 coral species (less than 2%) were in the threatened categories, but now the list contains 231 species (33%). The proportion of threatened coral species exceeds that of most terrestrial animal groups apart from amphibians, indicating their apparent susceptibility to climate change.
Elizabeth Wood, MCS Coral Reef Conservation Officer and one of the 34 co-authors of the report, hopes that this analysis will be a wake-up call for renewed efforts to protect coral reefs. "Coral reefs are one of the planet's most incredible and diverse living systems and provide local communities in over 100 countries with food and other natural resources. With so many corals now clearly identified as being at risk, we need to do all that we can to keep reefs and coral healthy and prevent what could be disastrous losses to global marine biodiversity".
Ends
Notes for Editors
1 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), through its Species Survival Commission (SSC) has for more than four decades been assessing the conservation status of species on a global scale in order to highlight those threatened with extinction, and therefore promote their conservation. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are the most widely accepted system for classifying extinction risk at the species level. All data and results are freely and publicly available from IUCN.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/info/introduction
2 Coral bleaching is caused by small increases in sea surface temperature. A rise of 1-2oC over a few weeks results in the loss of the essential symbiotic algae that live in coral tissue. The coral loses its colour (bleaching), is stressed and subsequently may die.
3 The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection for marine life. MCS is celebrating 25 years of protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife this year. MCS is running a series of events, projects and campaigns in 2008 to highlight the need for better protection of our seas, celebrate the wildlife they support and give opportunities for people to take an active part - on land or at sea.
………………………………………………………………………..
Marine Conservation Society . Unit 3 Wolf Business Park . Alton Road . Ross On Wye . HR9 5NB
01989 566017 . info@mcsuk.org . www.mcsuk.org
MCS Scotland . 3 Coates Place . Edinburgh . EH3 7AA . 0131 2266360 . scotland@mcsuk.org
Registered charity no (England & Wales): 1004005 . Registered charity no (Scotland): SC037480
Company Limited by guarantee no. 2550966 . Registered in England VAT no. 489 1505 17
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| Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee
No: 2550966 |
| Registered Charity No: England and Wales No 1004005 | Scotland No SC037480 |
| Registered Office: Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Alton Road, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5NB |
| Registered Charity No: England and Wales No 1004005 | Scotland No SC037480 |
| Registered Office: Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Alton Road, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5NB |