Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Abu Mujahid: The steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the Resistance thwarted the displacement plan and allowed us to secure the best possible terms in an agreement to halt the genocidal war
Abu Mujahid: We salute whosoever made sacrifices in support of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the martyred Sayyed Nasrallah and Sayyed Safieddine, as well as the people of Yemen and Iran
Abu Mujahid, head of the media office of the Popular Resistance Committees, to Al Mayadeen: The people of Gaza have sacrificed and given their most precious offerings for the Al-Aqsa Flood
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli artillery shelling targeted Khan Younis and the al-Bureij and al-Maghazi refugee camps
Captives may be released as early as Saturday and by Monday at the latest: Source briefed on the details of the agreement.
Netanyahu set to convene security cabinet at 1500 (1200GMT) and government at 1600 (1300GMT) to approve the deal: Source briefed on the details of the agreement
Within the first 24 hours, the Israeli military will complete the first phase of partial withdrawal: Source briefed on the details of the agreement
Israeli military says it has begun operational preparations for the implementation of the Gaza agreement
Israeli media: The ceasefire will take effect today at 12 noon
Israeli media: Israeli military divisions have been ordered to prepare for a complete withdrawal or repositioning to the rear in the near future

Planet Earth Loses Half Its Coral Reefs since 1950

  • By Al Mayadeen
  • Source: Agencies
  • 20 Sep 2021 09:35
4 Min Read

Dramatic declines in coral reef cover, biodiversity, and fish abundance recorded, a new study finds.

  • x
  • Half of our planet's coral reefs is lost
    Half our planet's coral reefs are lost

It has always been known that reefs are in danger, but a new study published in the journal One Earth assessed the size of coral losses around the world. The study reveals that half of the coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s, and scientists believe this is caused by climate change, overfishing, and pollution. These factors are wiping out these already vulnerable fragile ecosystems and putting communities and livelihoods at risk. As a matter of fact, the study goes as far as to underscore the rapid pace of global coral collapse.

“Coral reefs have been in decline worldwide—I think that's pretty commonly accepted,” says Tyler Eddy, a research scientist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland who co-authored the study. “We didn't necessarily know the magnitude of how much, when we looked on a global scale, that reefs had declined.”

What are coral reefs?

Related News

New Zealand’s oceans warming 34% faster than global average: Report

Europe losing green land at alarming rate, investigation reveals

Coral reefs are biodiversity hubs that house fishes, protect coastal communities, and generate billions of dollars for fisheries and tourism. According to biologist Mary Hagedorn, one of the reasons why corals are dying is that they are super sensitive to changes in water temperature and acidity, both being by-products of climate change. 

The irreversible process leading to coral reefs’ death

“Corals have skeletons, which makes them seem like rocks,” says Hagedorn, but they are animals with symbiotic partners. Coral polyps rely on colorful algae, called zooxanthellae, which live in their tissue and produce food the corals need for survival. When the polyps are stressed by changes in light, water temperature, or acidity, they break that symbiotic relationship and expel the algae in a process called bleaching. Corals have a short window to regain their symbiotic algae, but if corals are stressed for too long, their death is irreversible. “There is not a reef on earth that has not been touched by some aspect of this global and local threat,” says Hagedorn.

Coral reefs dying and biodiversity dropping

In addition to the fact that half of living corals have died since the 1950s, researchers have discovered that biodiversity associated with coral reefs has dropped by 63%. Healthy reefs support thousands of different corals, fish, and marine mammals, but the reefs that undergo bleaching lose their ability to support as many species. 

It was also found that catches of coral reef fishes peaked in 2002 and have been declining since then, despite increased fishing efforts. The study also showed that the loss of coral species wasn’t equal across reefs, with certain corals proving to be more sensitive than others, leading biologists to worry that some vulnerable coral species will be lost before documenting or preserving them.

How does the loss of coral reefs affect humans?

The connection between human communities and reefs is also discussed in the study. Losing ecosystems is tragic, but what does such a loss mean for people? “Coral reefs play this really important function in providing indigenous and local communities with vital micronutrients, and if they lost them, it could lead to severe implications,” ecologist Christina Hicks says.

What to do?

“There are lots of strategies for saving coral reefs and for bringing down carbon emissions, and people often debate about what's most effective,” says Hicks. “What this study says is that it's even more vital that we act now, and that we act in all directions.”

  • Restoring corals
  • coral reefs
  • corals
  • Climate change
  • Climate crisis
STOP THE HEAT: A Climate Change Coverage

STOP THE HEAT: A Climate Change Coverage

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
The Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza showed that after combating Israeli aggression for two years, they remain victorious in the face of oppression (Mahdi Rteil/Al Mayadeen English)

Al-Aqsa Flood two years on, a tale of victory

  • Politics
  • 6 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
An Israeli armored vehicle moves on a street of a local market during a military raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth near Ramallah amid raids

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran interested in resuming nuclear talks: Lavrov

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a news conference at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, April 25, 2025 (AP)
Politics

IMF head flags US budget, Europe Defense spending challenges

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)
Politics

Meloni faces ICC complaint over Gaza genocide complicity with Israelis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS