Coral reefs are threatened with extinction by the end of this century, said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), considering the underwater structures inscribed on the World Heritage List.
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The world’s best-known coral reefs could be extinct by the end of the century unless efforts are made to make them more resilient to warming oceans, it said, reiterating that these ecosystems face pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction.
In addition, he specified that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that states must drastically reduce carbon emissions in order to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
For her part, UNESCO Marine Program Director Fanny Douvere stated that “global warming means that local reef conservation practices are no longer sufficient to protect the world’s most important reef ecosystems. But a healthy, resilient reef can regenerate and survive after a bleach.”
UNESCO confirmed that its goal is to reduce these threats and strengthen sustainable management of marine reefs and support local communities.
To that end, they plan to prioritize support for 19 of the 29 reefs inscribed on the World Heritage List, including the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary (Colombia), the Guanacaste Conservation Area and the Isla del Coco National Park (Costa Rica), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) etc
Coral bleaching, which indicates their extinction, causes pieces to break off and accumulate on the reef, preventing new coral from growing.