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Super El Niño Threatens Coral Extinction
15 Oct
Summary
- A super El Niño event is predicted to significantly increase coral extinction risk.
- Nearly half of coral species faced elevated extinction risk by 2020.
- Record ocean temperatures exacerbate the threat to vulnerable coral reefs globally.
A looming super El Niño event presents a grave danger to global coral reefs, potentially driving many species toward extinction. Marine scientist David Obura, chair of the UN's biodiversity panel, expressed grave concern, noting that this climate phenomenon intensifies existing pressures on corals.
Corals are highly sensitive to rising ocean temperatures, a direct consequence of climate change. This warming increases the frequency and severity of devastating bleaching events. The current El Niño, expected to be one of the strongest on record, is anticipated to worsen these conditions significantly.
An important reassessment revealed that by 2020, nearly half of all coral species were already at an elevated risk of extinction. This deterioration is largely attributed to accelerating global warming and insufficient action to address its drivers.
Since that 2020 assessment, ocean temperatures have climbed to record highs. Scientists now fear that a new evaluation following the current El Niño could show an even greater proportion of coral species facing existential threats, possibly exceeding the 50% mark.
The collapse of coral reefs could occur rapidly once they surpass their environmental thresholds. While the exact timing remains uncertain, predictions suggest that certain reef systems could face precipitous decline within the next five to thirty years, or potentially even sooner due to the intensifying El Niño.
