16 Mar 2017

Scientists race to prevent wipeout of world's coral reefs

Highlights

  • The world has lost roughly half its coral reefs in the last 30 years.
  • Scientists are now scrambling to ensure that at least a fraction of these unique ecosystems survives beyond the next three decades.
  • Even if the world could halt global warming now, scientists still expect that more than 90 percent of corals will die by 2050.
An underwater photographer documents an expanse of dead coral at Lizard Island on Australia An underwater photographer documents an expanse of dead coral at Lizard Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. (AP File Photo)