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Will there be less coral on the Great Barrier Reef?

Scientists will claim that the Great Barrier Reef will have lost 95% of the corals since the year 2000. This is due to global warming and increased water temperature during the last decade. Since the temperature will continue to increase during the coming 50 years, there is a risk that all living coral will disappear in the future.

The coral consist of individual polyps, live creatures only a few mm in diameter which join together to form colonies. Each polyp lives inside a hard shell of aragonite, which is what we recognize as coral. Algae create the colors of coral, but when the water remains warm for too long, the coral is stressed and bleached. If it takes too long for the water to cool again, the coral dies and turns white. It has been for a long time a popular destination for tourists and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is an important source of income for the local and Australian economy.