One third of coral species face extinction

A landmark global survey of coral reefs has found a third of all coral species are at risk of extinction.

The survey by an international team of scientists was published in the prestigious journal, Science, and announced at the International Coral Reef Symposium underway in Florida.

The study also found the area with the highest number of vulnerable species is the so-called ‘Coral Triangle’, which covers Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and East Timor.

One of the researchers, Dr Greta Aeby, of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, says the findings mean coral reefs have joined the ranks of living creatures most likely to vanish permanently from the earth.

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Tagged as: Coral, Coral Reefs, Coral Triangle, East Timor, Extinct Species, Extinction, Florida, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Indonesia, International Coral Reef Symposium, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Science & Technology, Solomon Islands