Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity

Position 1: Without urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the majority of the world's coral reefs are projected to disappear before 2050.

Position 2: These ecosystems provide habitat, feeding grounds, and nurseries for approximately twenty-five percent of all known marine species.

Position 3: Scientists have documented that prolonged bleaching episodes reduce coral cover by up to fifty percent within a single season.

Position 4: Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity of marine life despite occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor.

Position 5: However, rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change are triggering mass bleaching events that leave reefs vulnerable to disease and death.