Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity

Position 1: Without urgent intervention, scientists warn that the majority of the world's reefs could collapse within decades.

Position 2: They provide shelter, feeding grounds, and breeding sites for approximately twenty-five percent of all known marine species.

Position 3: However, rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change are triggering widespread coral bleaching events.

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

Position 5: This ecological richness makes them among the most productive ecosystems on the planet.