ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The world is not doing enough to protect coral reefs, the United Nations special envoy for the ocean said Tuesday in defense of marine ecosystems that protect biodiversity, sustain underwater life and produce part of the oxygen we breathe. .
In an interview with the Associated Press on the sidelines of an international oceans conference in Greece, Peter Thomson suggested that all significant coral reefs should be included in marine protected areas under the so-called “30×30” initiative – a plan to designate 30% of land and ocean areas of the world as protected areas by 2030.
Top reef scientists announced Monday that coral reefs are suffering global bleaching for the fourth time — and for the second time in just 10 years – as a result of ocean warming in the context of human-caused climate change.
Bleaching occurs when stressed corals, which are invertebrates, expel the algae that provide them with food and give them vibrant colors. Although coral can recover, severe and prolonged bleaching can kill it.
Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Coral Reef Initiative said on Monday that coral bleaching in at least 53 countries, territories or local economies has been confirmed since February 2023.
Although much is being done to protect coral reefs around the worldThe main cause driving events like global bleaching is the burning of fossil fuels, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and warming oceans, Thomson said.
“Is enough being done? The answer is definitely no,” he said. “And the ‘done’ factor is the transition away from burning fossil fuels.”
Thomson said he believes some toughest coral will surviveand observed efforts to preserve corals in facilities such as aquariums. But “are we facing a colossal ecosystem tragedy? Yes, definitely. And we can’t escape it,” he said. “The fourth mass bleaching is just… a harbinger of things to come.”
Sometimes described as underwater rainforests, coral reefs support a quarter of marine species and form crucial barriers that protect coasts from the full force of storms. They also provide billions of dollars in revenue from tourism, fishing and other types of commerce.
Thomson said including significant reefs in the “30×30” initiative would be a viable way to increase their protection. Extending the safeguards afforded to marine protected areas would be “very valuable for reef preservation,” he said.
“It is not possible to have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean. And ocean health is currently in measurable decline,” Thomson said.
Thomson, an ambassador from Fiji who was appointed the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for the ocean in 2017, has vowed to continue the fight.
“You cannot condemn your grandchildren to a world without corals, to a world on fire,” he said. “That’s not the world we’re going to give our grandchildren.”
