SUPPORT THE CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND CORAL REEFS

Please join scientists and coral reef managers in supporting a Consensus Statement urging governments to ensure the future of coral reefs, through global action on reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and via improved local protection of coral reefs. To endorse the statement below, please fill out the form and click on the 'Endorse the Statement' button. We respect your privacy and will not share your email address with anyone.
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Consensus Statement on Climate Change and Coral Reefs

The international Coral Reef Science Community calls on all governments to ensure the future of coral reefs, through global action to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and via improved local protection of coral reefs.

Coral reefs are important ecosystems of ecological, economic and cultural value yet they are in decline worldwide due to human activities. Land-based sources of pollution, sedimentation, overfishing and climate change are the major threats, and all of them are expected to increase in severity.

Changes already observed over the last century: Approximately 25-30% of the world's coral reefs are already severely degraded by local impacts from land and by over-harvesting. The surface of the world's oceans has warmed by 0.7 °C, resulting in unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality events. The acidity of the ocean's surface has increased due to increased atmospheric CO2. Sea-level has risen on average by 18cm.

By the end of this century: CO2 emissions at the current rate will warm sea surface temperatures by at least 2-3 °C, raise sea-level by as much as 1.7 meters, reduce ocean pH from 8.1 to less than 7.9, and increase storm frequency and/or intensity. This combined change in temperature and ocean chemistry has not occurred since the last reef crisis 55 million years ago.

Other stresses faced by corals and reefs: Coral reef death also occurs because of a set of local problems including excess sedimentation, pollution, habitat destruction, and overfishing. These problems reduce coral growth and vitality, making it more difficult for corals to survive climate changes.

Future impacts on coral reefs: Most corals will face water temperatures above their current tolerance. Most reefs will experience higher acidification, impairing calcification of corals and reef growth Rising sea levels will be accompanied by disruption of human communities, increased sedimentation impacts and increased levels of wave damage. Together, this combination of climate-related stressors represents an unprecedented challenge for the future of coral reefs and to the services they provide to people.

Across the globe, these problems cause a loss of reef resources of enormous economic and cultural value. A concerted effort to preserve reefs for the future demands action at global levels, but also will benefit hugely from continued local protection.

Initial Endorsees: Greta Aeby, Research Scientist, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA Andrew Baird, Principal Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Australia James Barry, Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California, USA Dan Barshis, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University, California, USA Yehuda Benayahu, Professor of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Israel Charles Birkeland, Adjunct Associate Professor of Zoology , University of Hawaii, USA Dan Brumbaugh, Senior Conservation Scientist, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA Ann Budd, Professor of Invertebrate Paleontology , Iowa University, USA Meg Caldwell, Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, California, USA Robert Carpenter, Professor, California State University Northridge, USA Anne Cohen, Professor of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Massachusetts, USA Steve Coles, Research Zoologist, Bishop Museum, Hawaii, USA Isabelle Cote, Professor of Tropical Marine Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Frasier University, Canada Larry Crowder, Senior Science Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University ,California, USA Guillermo Diaz-Pulido, Lecturer, School of Environment, Griffith University, Australia Rob Dunbar, Professor of Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University, California, USA Mark Eakin, Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Maryland, USA Makoto Tsuchiya, Professor and President of the Japanese Coral Reef Society, University of the Ryukyus, Japan Peter Edmunds, Professor of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California, USA Katharina Fabricius, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia Ruth Gates, Researcher, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA Yimnang Golbuu, Chief Researcher, Palau International Coral Reef Center, Palau Edgardo Gomez, Emeritus Professor, Marine Science Institute University of the Philippines, Andrea Grottoli, Associate Professor, Ohio State University, USA Mike Hadfield, Professor of Biology, University of Hawaii, USA Peter Harrison, Director of Marine Studies & Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Australia Drew Harvell, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University New York, USA Mark Hixon, Professor of Marine Ecology & Conservation Biology, Oregon State University, USA Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor and Director, Global Change Institute University of Queensland, Australia Peter Houk, Chief Biologist, Pacific Marine Resources Institute, Saipan Terry Hughes, Professor & Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Australia Cynthia Hunter, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii, USA Jeremy Jackson, Emeritus Professor of Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California, USA Paul Jokiel, Researcher, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, USA Les Kaufman, Professor of Biology, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA Mark Kirkpatrick, Professor of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, USA Jack Kittinger, Research Fellow, Center for Ocean Solutions California, USA Joanie Kleypas, Scientist III, National Center for Atmospheric Research Colorado, USA Nancy Knowlton, Sant Chair for Marine Science, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA Kristy Kroeker, PhD Candidate, Stanford University California, USA Chris Langdon, Professor of Marine Biology & Fisheries, University of Miami Florida, USA Jo-Ann Leong, Professor & Director, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology , University of Hawaii, USA Michael Lesser, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, USA Braddock Linsley, Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University New York, USA Janice Lough, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville, Australia Joseph Loya, Professor of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Israel Fred Mackenzie, Professor Emeritus of Sedimentary and Global Geochemistry, University of Hawaii, USA Tim McClanahan, Senior Conservation Zoologist, Wildlife Conservation Society, Kenya Malcolm McCulloch, Professor, School of Earth & Environment, University of Western Australia, Australia Austin Stephen, Monismith, Professor, Director, Environmental Fluid Mechanics Lab, Stanford University, California, USA Peter Mumby, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia Magnus Nystrom, Associate Professor & Senior Lecturer, Stockholm Resilience Center, Sweden Steve Palumbi, Director & Professor of Conservation Genetics, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University , California, USA John Pandolfi, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia Adina Paytan Associate Research Scientist, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, USA Serge Planes, Director, CRIOBE Moorea University of Perpignon, France Robert Richmond, President of ISRS, Professor of Conservation Biology , University of Hawaii, USA Stuart Sandin, Assistant Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California, USA Jennifer Smith, Assistant Professor, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Scripps Institution of Oceanography California, USA Robert van Woesik, Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, USA John Veron, Former Chief Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia Virginia Weis, Professor and Chair, Oregon State University, USA Kevin Weng, Manager, Pelagic Fisheries Research Program, University of Hawaii, USA Bette Willis, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Australia Brock Woodson, Research Fellow, Center for Ocean Solutions Stanford University , California, USA Dirk Zeller, Senior Research Fellow, University of British Columbia, Canada

As of '2020-10-01', '3620' individuals have endorsed the Consensus Statement.