EARTH DAY
CORAL REEFS ARE BEING DESTROYED In the last 30 years, half of the world’s coral reefs have died. Human activity, as well as increased temperatures, has contributed significantly to coral bleaching. When the water becomes too warm, the algae living in the coral's tissues leave. Algae provides the coral with most of its energy, and so it needs algae to survive. When the algae leaves, the coral becomes bleached and turns white or pale, leaving it vulnerable to disease. This impacts fish and other species that make these corals their home. Between 2014 and 2017, the bleaching of the Northern Great Barrier Reef, combined with the impacts of cyclones, killed around 50% of its corals. AS GLOBAL TEMPERATURES INCREASE, OUR SOCIETIES WILL FIND IT HARDER TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGES THIS BRINGS, AND SOME SPECIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME EXTINCT Climate change will increase existing risks and create new risks for both natural and human systems. These risks are not shared equally, and are generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities. Coastal areas will be vulnerable to sea level rise, and some vulnerable island nations like the Maldives could disappear completely. A large percentage of species face increased extinction risk due to climate change. For example, most plants cannot naturally shift where they live fast enough to keep up with current rates of climate change in most landscapes. Most small mammals and freshwater molluscs will not be able to keep up with these changes either.
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