Attached: 1 image Biodiversity loss takes many forms. Whether it's deforestation wrecking habitats and killing species, or the heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers by industrial agriculture, or the bleaching of coral reefs, capitalist greed and exploitation is causing unprecedented damage to our natural world... __________________________________ The mass bleaching of coral reefs around the world since February 2023 is now the most extensive on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week. A staggering 77% of the world’s coral reef areas — from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Indian oceans — have so far been subjected to bleaching-level heat stress, according to satellite data, as climate change fuels record and near-record ocean temperatures across the world. Triggered by heat stress in warm oceans, coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the colourful algae living in their tissues. Without these helpful algae, the corals become pale and are vulnerable to starvation and disease. At least 14% of the world’s remaining corals were estimated to have died in the previous two global bleaching events. In response to the bleaching record, scientists have called a special emergency session on coral reefs to be held at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit (COP16) in Colombia at the end of the month. World leaders will discuss last-ditch strategies to avert the functional extinction of corals. Scientists had previously projected that coral reefs would cross a tipping point at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, whereby up to 90% of reefs would be lost. The latest record bleaching adds to growing evidence that reefs have already passed a point of no return at just 1.3 degrees of warming. __________________________________ It should be noted that coral reefs have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on Earth — even more than tropical rainforests. Occupying less than 1% of the ocean floor, reefs are home to more than 25% of all marine life. Losing the reefs could mean overturning the delicate balance of our planet's entire food chain. FULL STORY -- https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/18/climate/coral-bleaching-largest-record/index.html #Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #BioDiversity