The United Nations has issued an urgent call for increased funding to protect coral reefs, which are facing extinction due to the most extensive mass bleaching event recorded.
Data indicates that 77 percent of the world's coral reefs are affected by bleaching, marking the largest mass bleaching event on record and the fourth in human history.
This issue gained significant attention at the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, where an emergency session was held. Peter Thomson, the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, emphasized the urgency, stating, "With the window to protect these ecosystems closing rapidly, world leaders must act now."
Signs of widespread coral bleaching first emerged in 2023 and have continued into this year. Environmental stressors, including increased CO₂ absorption and runoff from sewage and industrial activities, are causing corals to expel algae, their primary food source. This leads to malnutrition and susceptibility to disease.
Notably, the Florida Coral Reef and Australia's Great Barrier Reef have experienced extensive bleaching, with 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef's coral affected in 2022. The surrounding sea temperatures are the hottest they have been in 400 years, impacting food chains across the ocean.
It's estimated that about 25 percent of all marine species associate with coral reefs at some point in their lives, meaning the degradation of these reefs threatens the survival of a significant portion of marine life.
In response, countries including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France have pledged nearly $30 million to the U.N. Coral Reef Fund, which aims to gather up to $3 billion by 2030 for reef conservation initiatives. U.K. Minister for Nature Mary Creagh stated, "Protecting our ocean and its precious habitats is fundamental to life on earth."
Further financial commitments are expected at the upcoming U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, France, scheduled for June 9-15, 2025, where officials hope to secure an additional $150 million for global coral protection.
Mass bleaching events are now occurring beyond the typical El Niño periods, indicating a worrying trend of prolonged environmental damage. Kenyan marine ecologist David Obura highlighted that these events are lasting more than one year at a time, raising alarms about the future of coral ecosystems.