Headlines:
| Global warming severely damages Caribbean coral reefs |
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| Friday, 25 January 2008 | |
The World Conservation Union says global warming may kill
off Caribbean coral reefs. It says this was evident after assessing the full extent of damage to the organisms caused by the temperatures of 2005, the warmest year on record. The union says sea temperatures above normal extended across vast areas of the Caribbean in 2005, killing off swathes of reef, including more than half of the corals in the US Virgin Islands. It says with temperatures forecast to rise further this century, reefs may be killed. Corals are an important marine ecosystem, providing shelter and food for animals including crabs and sponges. According to the union they also add about US$4.6 billion to the Caribbean economy through tourism, fishing and coastal protection. |