Coral Reefs face perfect Storm and may be extinct by Mid-Century

Colourful coral reefs in Asia, the Pacific and beyond are under threat from a perfect storm of natural and man-made forces, and could largely disappear in the decades ahead.

- Bruce Maxwell

Visitors to iconic ecosystems such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will find that popular diving and snorkelling spots in central and southern parts of this 2,300 km underwater wonderland are as yet relatively untouched by the recent crisis, despite alarming media reports in April and May that “93 per cent of the reef has been affected by coral bleaching”.

How much longer the world’s fragile reef systems can hold out remains to be seen. The Mediterranean is mostly moribund, the Caribbean began losing its coral cover years ago, the Indian Ocean and Asia struggle to retain once-pristine outcrops, and even acclaimed bastion the Pacific is coming under a cloud. Our present generation could be the last to witness breathtaking arrays of pretty variegated corals interlaced with brightly-hued tropical fish, crustaceans and other fascinating sea creatures that have been so abundant in times past.