Over the past 75 years, the area of coral reefs has decreased by 50% compared to the indicators of the 1950s, a study of ecologists published by the scientific journal One Earth.
It also turned out that the total biomass of reefs fell by 60%.
Scientists note that even the smallest changes in water temperature, the nature of currents and the acidity of the oceans affect the ability of corals to grow a calcareous skeleton.
Researchers have suggested that in the 21st century, about 20% of coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, may completely disappear. The life of polyps is threatened not only by climatic factors, but also by new infections and parasites that spread across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
We will add that France will allocate 3 million euros to the Global Coral Reef Fund as part of the fight for the conservation of biodiversity in the oceans.
Earlier, scientists reported the disappearance of half of the colonies of coral polyps of the Great Barrier Reef.