Coral reefs begin death spiral as climate tipping point nears

By Stephen Beech

Most coral reefs will soon stop growing and may begin to erode due to climate change, warns new research.

And almost all will do so if global warming hits 2°C, say scientists .

An international team, led by scientists from the University of Exeter , assessed 400 reef sites around Florida, Mexico and Bonaire.

The study, published in the journal Nature , projects that more than 70% of the region’s reefs will stop growing by 2040 – and over 99% will do so by 2100 if warming reaches 2°C or more above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists say climate change – along with other issues such as coral disease and deteriorating water quality – reduces overall reef growth by killing corals and impacting colony growth rates.

To understand how changing reef ecology is impact