Climate Change Threatens Egypt's Red Sea As Corals Fade Due To Warm Oceans
NDTV
Coral reefs -- often dubbed the "rainforests of the oceans" for their rich biodiversity -- are under threat everywhere as rising sea temperatures and acidification cause catastrophic "bleaching" events.
Standing on a boat bobbing gently in the Red Sea, Egyptian diving instructor Mohamed Abdelaziz looks on as tourists snorkel amid the brilliantly coloured corals, a natural wonder now under threat from climate change.
"If they disappear, we'll disappear with them," he says of the vibrant corals on the reef, a species-rich ecosystem just below the turquoise waters that is beloved by diving enthusiasts worldwide.
Coral reefs -- often dubbed the "rainforests of the oceans" for their rich biodiversity -- are under threat everywhere as rising sea temperatures and acidification cause catastrophic "bleaching" events.
Along with pollution and dynamite fishing, global warming wiped out 14 percent of the world's coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, says a new survey by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, the biggest ever carried out.
