Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity

Position 1: Without urgent reductions in global carbon emissions, scientists warn that most coral reefs could collapse within decades.

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

Position 3: When corals expel their symbiotic algae in response to thermal stress, they lose both their colour and their primary energy source.

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 devastate reef structures.