sometimes referred to as the rainforests of the sea, the colorful coral reef ecosystems of the world are widely known for high biological diversity and their ability to provide a safe habitat, spawning, and nursery grounds for an incredible variety of marine species. occupying less than 1% of the world’s ocean area, coral reefs are also extremely beneficial to humans in terms of the varied ecosystem goods and services they provide. coral reefs are one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems and the condition of corals is a major indicator of the heath of the global ecosystem.
however, despite their significance to humans and other life forms, coral reefs are under extreme threat due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, ocean warming and acidification, pollution, and other human-made environmental threats. scientists and researchers from the World Resources Institute have estimated that two-thirds of the world's coral reefs are facing serious threats. the following article discusses the different threats to the coral reefs.