Nearly half of reef-building corals face elevated relative risk of extinction

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   Nearly Half of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk

   A global reassessment reveals that 44% of reef-building coral species face an elevated relative risk of extinction due to warming oceans driven by climate change. Researchers warn that every tenth of a degree of avoided warming is vital for preserving biodiversity. The findings are further compounded by a super El Nino and the ongoing fourth global coral bleaching event, leaving vulnerable marine ecosystems running out of time.

   Why it matters

   Coral reefs support marine life and coastal protection, but rising ocean temperatures threaten their survival. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List reassessment evaluates 892 reef-building coral species to gauge shifting extinction risks. Scientists stress that the data predates the severe 2023-2025 global bleaching event, indicating the actual toll may already exceed current figures.

   What is confirmed

   • A global reassessment of 892 reef-building coral species found that 44% of species are threatened with extinction.
   • A super El Nino fueling record ocean temperatures poses a terrifying threat to the world's fragile coral reefs.
   • The data for 340 threatened reef-building coral species predate the 2023-2025 global bleaching.

   What to watch next

   • Updates on the impacts of the 2023-2025 global bleaching event on coral populations
   • Assessments of how the current super El Nino affects reef mortality
   Sources used for this update (20)

   1. help.naver.com — Futures Flat As Oil Rebounds After Trump's "Energy Ceasefire" Unravels, Memory Stocks Slide | ZeroHedge
   2. Phys.org — El Niño a 'terrifying' threat to coral reefs: UN biodiversity expert
   3. Nature — Nearly half of reef-building corals face elevated relative risk of extinction
   4. Nature World News — 340 Reef-Building Coral Species Face Elevated Extinction Risk, and the Data Predate the 2023-2025 Global Bleaching
   5. Scimex — During El Niño, a perfect storm of weather systems could spell disaster for the Great Barrier Reef
   6. Yahoo News Canada — Scientists say nearly half of reef-building corals face elevated risk of extinction due to climate change
   7. Phys.org — El Niño a 'terrifying' threat to coral reefs: UN biodiversity expert
   8. Common Dreams — ‘Deadly Serious’: Half of World’s Reef-Building Coral Face Extinction Threat as Oceans Warm, Study Warns
   9. The Times of India — ‘Collapse could be precipitous’: Super El Niño could push coral reefs closer to extinction, UN biodiversity expert warns
   10. Jamaica Observer — El Nino a ‘terrifying’ threat to coral reefs, says UN biodiversity expert
   11. International Union for Conservation of Nature — Nearly half of reef-building coral species face elevated relative risk of extinction
   12. Bioengineer.org — Nearly Half of Reef-Building Corals Now Face Elevated Extinction Risk, Global Red List Reassessment Finds
   confidence 100%