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| Key coral reefs 'could disappear' | Key coral reefs 'could disappear' |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The world's most important coral region is in danger of being wiped out by the end of this century unless fast action is taken, says a new report. | The world's most important coral region is in danger of being wiped out by the end of this century unless fast action is taken, says a new report. |
| The international conservation group WWF warns that 40% of reefs in the Coral Triangle have already been lost. | The international conservation group WWF warns that 40% of reefs in the Coral Triangle have already been lost. |
| The area is shared between Indonesia and five other south-east Asian nations and is thought to contain 75% of the world's coral species. | The area is shared between Indonesia and five other south-east Asian nations and is thought to contain 75% of the world's coral species. |
| It is likened to the Amazon rainforest in terms of its biodiversity. | It is likened to the Amazon rainforest in terms of its biodiversity. |
| Temperature change | Temperature change |
| It's 2099, and across South East Asia, a hundred million people are on the march, looking for food. | |
| The productivity of ocean... is plummeting right now Professor Ove Hoegh-GuldbergWWF report author | The productivity of ocean... is plummeting right now Professor Ove Hoegh-GuldbergWWF report author |
| The fish they once relied on is gone. Communities are breaking down; economies destroyed. | The fish they once relied on is gone. Communities are breaking down; economies destroyed. |
| That is what we can expect, says the new WWF report, if the world's richest coral reef is destroyed. | That is what we can expect, says the new WWF report, if the world's richest coral reef is destroyed. |
| And that, it says, could happen this century. | And that, it says, could happen this century. |
| It's billed as a worst-case scenario, but the report's chief author, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, says it is not as bad as the future we're currently headed towards. | It's billed as a worst-case scenario, but the report's chief author, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, says it is not as bad as the future we're currently headed towards. |
| "Up until now we haven't realized how quickly this system is changing," says Professor Hoegh-Guldberg. | |
| "In the last 40 years in the Coral Triangle, we've lost 40% of coral reefs and mangroves - and that's probably an underestimate. We've fundamentally changed the way the planet works in terms of currents and this is only with a 0.7 degree change in terms of temperature. | "In the last 40 years in the Coral Triangle, we've lost 40% of coral reefs and mangroves - and that's probably an underestimate. We've fundamentally changed the way the planet works in terms of currents and this is only with a 0.7 degree change in terms of temperature. |
| "What's going to happen when we exceed two or four or six?" | "What's going to happen when we exceed two or four or six?" |
| Climate change consequences | Climate change consequences |
| Avoiding a worst-case scenario would need significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and better controls on fishing and coastal areas, says the report. | Avoiding a worst-case scenario would need significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and better controls on fishing and coastal areas, says the report. |
| The region contains three-quarters of all coral species | The region contains three-quarters of all coral species |
| The Coral Triangle covers 1% of the earth's surface but contains a third of all the world's coral, and three-quarters of its coral reef species. | The Coral Triangle covers 1% of the earth's surface but contains a third of all the world's coral, and three-quarters of its coral reef species. |
| If it goes, an entire eco-system goes with it - and that, says Prof Hoegh-Gudberg, has serious consequences for its ability to tackle climate change. | If it goes, an entire eco-system goes with it - and that, says Prof Hoegh-Gudberg, has serious consequences for its ability to tackle climate change. |
| "Pollution, the inappropriate use of coastal areas, these are destroying the productivity of ocean which is plummeting right now. That is the system that traps CO2 - 40% of CO2 goes into the ocean. | "Pollution, the inappropriate use of coastal areas, these are destroying the productivity of ocean which is plummeting right now. That is the system that traps CO2 - 40% of CO2 goes into the ocean. |
| "Now if we interrupt that, the problems on planet earth become even greater," says Prof Hoegh-Gudberg. | "Now if we interrupt that, the problems on planet earth become even greater," says Prof Hoegh-Gudberg. |
| Indonesia is hosting the World Ocean Conference this week because, it says, oceans have been neglected so far in global discussions on climate change. | Indonesia is hosting the World Ocean Conference this week because, it says, oceans have been neglected so far in global discussions on climate change. |
| It wants the issue to have a bigger profile at UN climate talks later this year. | It wants the issue to have a bigger profile at UN climate talks later this year. |