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50 Reefs initiative launched to save coral reefs from extinction
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Sparkling blue water – A tourist enjoys snorkeling in the Sawu Sea National Park in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. (Antara/-)
A
global plan to save coral reefs from extinction as a result of climate change, pollution and poor fishing practices was launched on Friday at the World Ocean Summit in Bali.
The initiative, called 50 Reefs, brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists as well as conservation practitioners from around the world. The initiative will compile a list of 50 reefs most in need of protection.
This will be the first global plan to save the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet.
Read also: Saving ocean requires global effort, cooperation:
The initiative comes at a perilous moment for coral reefs. Current estimates indicate that 90 percent of reefs will have disappeared by 2050.
"Some of the most disastrous effects of climate change are on the ocean floor and therefore out of sight. In fact, 90 percent of coral reefs are expected to disappear by 2050 and saving the remaining coral reefs is vital. Without coral reefs, we could lose up to a quarter of the world's marine biodiversity and hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people would lose their primary source of food. We must not allow this to happen," said Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.
The 50 Reefs initiative builds on the work undertaken by the Ocean Agency and the Global Change Institute located at the University of Queensland. (yan)
