The time to save the Red Sea corals is now, and the opportunity offered is unique: preserving a reef that, contrary to those in other parts of the world, has proven to be incredibly resistant to the rise of ocean temperatures. For this reason, a group of Israeli, Arab and international scientists published a paper in Frontiers in Marine Science last week to launch a call for action to the regional governments and the international community.
Scientists estimate that from 70% to 90% of all coral reefs will disappear by mid-century, primarily as a result of climate change and pollution. As coauthor of the study, Dr. Karine Kleinhaus of Stony Brook University in New York told The Jerusalem Post that over half the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is already damaged, and signs of a new bleaching have emerged in the past few days.
