El Niño a 'terrifying' threat to coral reefs: UN biodiversity expert
Originally published by Citizen Digital — Read the original article →
A super El Nino fuelling record ocean temperatures poses a “terrifying” threat to the world’s fragile coral reefs, the chair of the UN’s expert nature panel told AFP.
Marine scientist David Obura said the exceptional El Nino pattern building strength in the tropical Pacific could drive vulnerable coral species even closer toward extinction.
Corals are heat sensitive and particularly vulnerable to climate change, which is heating the world’s oceans and increasing the frequency and intensity of damaging bleaching events.
