World's Coral Reefs Under Pressure

March 1, 2011 -- According to a new report by the World Resources Institute (WRI), about 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be highly threatened by 2050 due to climate change, change in ocean chemistry, and other pressures.   The WRI report suggests that absorption of carbon dioxide emitted by human activities is increasing the acidity of the ocean and disrupting coral reef growth. Damage or growth disruption to coral reefs may adversely affect marine biodiversity creating short- and long-term consequences for marine life and people.

The National Research Council report Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean says that man-made carbon dioxide emissions are changing ocean chemistry at an unprecedented rate. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been absorbed by the ocean, making sea water more acidic. To date, carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions and changes in land use have increased average ocean acidity by 30 percent. The report finds the federal government's National Ocean Acidification Program, currently in development, a positive move toward coordinating efforts to understand and respond to the problem and recommends six key elements to create a successful program.