degraded coral imperils coastal people
Sunday 20 July 2025
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

at the US Geological Survey (USGS)

Degraded coral imperils coastal people

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicleDegraded coral imperils coastal people

More than 200 million people around the world depend on coral reefs to protect coastal homes
Paris - Arab Today

Coral reefs may be losing their ability to shield coastal communities from storms, sea surges and tsunamis, geologists said on Thursday.

More than 200 million people around the world depend on coral reefs to protect coastal homes and beaches from the ravaging impact of high seas.

But this vital buffer is at threat from reef degradation, according to a paper published by scientists at the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Degraded coral reefs suffer from erosion of the ocean bed, which increases the depth of the sea.

As a result, it becomes harder for coral to grow fast enough to keep up with water levels, which are rising as a result of global warming.

Analysis of five tropical reefs found that the combined effect of rising seas and sea-floor erosion has already increased water depths beyond what most scientists expected to occur decades from now, one investigators found.

Other studies into sea levels this century have predicted a rise of between 50 centimetres (19.6 inches) and one metre (39 inches) by 2100, as global warming causes the seas to expand and increases melt from glaciers and ice sheets. Such estimates do not take into account sea-bed erosion.

The study looked at decades-long measures of two coral reefs in the Florida Keys, two in the US Virgin Islands, and in the waters near the Hawaiian island of Maui.

- A unique ecosystem -

The sea bed had eroded at all five sites, ranging from nine to 80 cms.

In the Hawaiian site alone, the sea floor had lost 81 million cubic metres (2.8 billion cubic feet) of sand, rock and other material -- enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool 32,000 times.

"Our measurements show that seafloor erosion has already caused water depths to increase to levels not predicted to occur until near the year 2100," said Kimberly Yates, who led the study.

"At current rates, by 2100 sea-floor erosion could increase water depths by two to eight times more than what has been predicted from sea-level arise alone."

The study was not designed to explore why the erosion had occurred.

But previous research into this has been extensive, typically pinning the blame on a combination of coastal development, overfishing, pollution, coral bleaching, ocean acidification and disease.

In addition to being a natural shield against heavy seas, coral reefs also constitute a unique ecosystem, providing about a quarter of all fish harvests in tropical oceans and sustaining millions of jobs in tourism.

Coral -- tiny organisms that build 3-D structures of calcium carbonate minerals -- is already deemed a prime victim of ocean warming.

Earlier this month, scientists in Australia found that coral had bleached on the famous Great Barrier Reef for two consecutive years as a result of record-breaking sea temperatures. Corals can take years to recover from bleaching but for some species, back-to-back episodes can be fatal.

The new research appears in Biogeosciences, a journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

source: AFP

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

GMT 09:00 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Hong Kong engulfed in smog

GMT 06:52 2018 Friday ,19 January

Six dead as huge storms batter Europe

GMT 07:02 2018 Thursday ,18 January

China says Iranian oil tanker wreck located

GMT 07:46 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

Philippines' Mayon volcano alert raised

GMT 08:14 2018 Sunday ,14 January

Fossil fuels blown away by wind

GMT 10:36 2018 Friday ,12 January

Race to save Indonesian croc stricken

GMT 08:07 2018 Wednesday ,10 January

Philippines to protest over China activity

GMT 08:56 2018 Tuesday ,09 January

Bacteria makes blue jeans green
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

degraded coral imperils coastal people degraded coral imperils coastal people

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 22:10 2017 Friday ,31 March

April 20 - May 20

GMT 09:58 2017 Saturday ,19 August

All Black star Kaino returns home to deal

GMT 06:35 2015 Tuesday ,13 January

Ronaldo wins 2014 Ballon d'Or

GMT 13:37 2012 Monday ,20 February

Lamborghini Diablo

GMT 00:52 2013 Sunday ,22 December

PS4 Xbox 1 power consumption analysis points to Sony

GMT 09:44 2016 Monday ,26 September

Fuel tanker fire extinguished in Gulf of Mexico

GMT 10:43 2011 Wednesday ,23 November

2012 Acura TL SH-AWD

GMT 04:58 2014 Friday ,15 August

'Flashmob' robots swarm themselves into shape

GMT 04:29 2012 Sunday ,14 October

Classical poetry of the Shafi\'i

GMT 13:18 2016 Tuesday ,06 December

Teachers around the world share their stories

GMT 09:59 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

Hope for Dubai oil workers who are owed pay

GMT 14:10 2017 Friday ,03 February

Reasons of growth rate conflicting numbers

GMT 09:32 2017 Sunday ,29 October

Hiroshima survivor to accept Nobel Prize

GMT 23:09 2017 Wednesday ,15 February

Indian PSLV rocket lifts off with record 104 satellites

GMT 14:23 2016 Friday ,01 January

Japanese hurler Maeda reportedly headed to Dodgers

GMT 14:28 2016 Wednesday ,27 January

Sony moves PlayStation business to Silicon Valley

GMT 13:19 2017 Wednesday ,29 March

Belstaff appoints Karla Otto

GMT 13:44 2017 Friday ,24 March

Arab Spring: Where are the leaders now?
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle