Coral Reef Ecosystem Challenges

But as well as being physically and biologically spectacular, coral reefs also sustain the livelihoods of over half a billion people.

What is more, this number is expected to double in coming decades while the area of high-quality reef is expected to halve.

Coral reefs support more marine life than any other ocean ecosystem and are, not surprisingly, a favorite pursuit for many divers.

In combination with the very real threat of climate change, which could lead to increased seawater temperatures and ocean acidification, we start to arrive at some quite frightening scenarios.