The International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) is the international association to which coral reef scientists and managers belong. Corals are uniquely sensitive to climate change and the society has become increasingly alarmed at the extent to which elevated ocean temperatures are killing corals (through a process known as coral bleaching that is often associated with coral disease) and devastating highly biodiverse and economically valuable coral reef ecosystems. The society has recently published a consensus statement on coral bleaching and climate change which can be downloaded from the society's website at: www.coralreefs.org. The society's members are deeply concerned that robust evidence indicates that unless the increase in global temperatures is kept below the 2 degrees C which is proposed for agreement at the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) to take place in Paris at the end of November (2015), the next few decades will see the loss of thriving coral reefs as we have known them from most ocean areas, The conclusions of this statement are:
The International Society for Reef Studies calls on all nations and negotiators at the Paris Climate Change Conference to commit to limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to no more than 450 ppm in the short-term, and reducing them to 350ppm in the long-term.
This should keep average global temperature increase to less than 2°C (or 3.6oF) in the short-term, and less than 1.5 deg C (or 2.7 deg F) in the long-term, relative to the pre-industrial period. This would prevent global collapse of coral reef ecosystems and allow coral reefs to survive in perpetuity.
If you support this call, please sign this petition.
Please include your professional affiliation (if appropriate) in the comments section and state if you are a member of ISRS.
The picture shows extensive bleaching (whitening, typically followed by death) of corals in American Samoa earlier this year, 2015 (courtesy of XL Catlin Seaview Survey).
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
November 12, 2015
Reached 100 supporters
November 9, 2015
November 8, 2015
WE ARE ALMOST AT THE 100 MARK AND THE MOMENTUM IS ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIC!! BLAST THIS LINK OUT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN SMASH THROUGH THIS GOAL!!
579 Comments
Corals can adapt themselves. The major issue is that the will not have the time to do it if were not able to temperate the glogal change. So acting to keep average global temperature increase to less than 2°C is essential to let them the time to adapt themselves.
I am a retired marine biologist and author of "Corals of Florida and the Caribbean" (UPF). The present state of corals is bad enough but set to get much worse unless urgent action is taken as recommended in the ISRS Statement.
We're all trying our best to reduce local threats to reefs, but if greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced, our efforts will be wasted and we will watch more and more coral die. We could be the last generation to see healthy reefs if we don't take action.
This is really serious and I support this wholeheartedly. I am a ISRS member and co-director of Marine Conservation International. I am a marine scientist who has been working on coral reefs and coral reef fish for my career and the changes I have seen are devastating.
As a marine biologist who has witnessed coral bleaching and the decline of reef health in both the Pacific and Caribbean, I support this call on all nations at the Paris Climate Change Conference to commit to limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide to protect our coral reefs,
De vital importancia y urgencia de acción
Stop climate change!
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The International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) is the international association to which coral reef scientists and managers belong. Corals are uniquely sensitive to climate change and the society has become increasingly alarmed at the extent to which elevated ocean temperatures are killing corals (through a process known as coral bleaching that is often associated with coral disease) and devastating highly biodiverse and economically valuable coral reef ecosystems. The society has recently published a consensus statement on coral bleaching and climate change which can be downloaded from the society's website at: www.coralreefs.org. The society's members are deeply concerned that robust evidence indicates that unless the increase in global temperatures is kept below the 2 degrees C which is proposed for agreement at the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) to take place in Paris at the end of November (2015), the next few decades will see the loss of thriving coral reefs as we have known them from most ocean areas, The conclusions of this statement are:
The International Society for Reef Studies calls on all nations and negotiators at the Paris Climate Change Conference to commit to limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to no more than 450 ppm in the short-term, and reducing them to 350ppm in the long-term.
This should keep average global temperature increase to less than 2°C (or 3.6oF) in the short-term, and less than 1.5 deg C (or 2.7 deg F) in the long-term, relative to the pre-industrial period. This would prevent global collapse of coral reef ecosystems and allow coral reefs to survive in perpetuity.
If you support this call, please sign this petition.
Please include your professional affiliation (if appropriate) in the comments section and state if you are a member of ISRS.
The picture shows extensive bleaching (whitening, typically followed by death) of corals in American Samoa earlier this year, 2015 (courtesy of XL Catlin Seaview Survey).
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
November 12, 2015
Reached 100 supporters
November 9, 2015
November 8, 2015
WE ARE ALMOST AT THE 100 MARK AND THE MOMENTUM IS ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIC!! BLAST THIS LINK OUT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN SMASH THROUGH THIS GOAL!!
579 Comments
I direct the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation (ALTO) working in Indonesia at the heart of the Coral Triangle. We are witnessing the destruction of corals every day. In our area, this is literally a matter of life and death: as corals die, wildlife and people in our area go with them.
Corals can adapt themselves. The major issue is that the will not have the time to do it if were not able to temperate the glogal change. So acting to keep average global temperature increase to less than 2°C is essential to let them the time to adapt themselves.
I am a retired marine biologist and author of "Corals of Florida and the Caribbean" (UPF). The present state of corals is bad enough but set to get much worse unless urgent action is taken as recommended in the ISRS Statement.
We're all trying our best to reduce local threats to reefs, but if greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced, our efforts will be wasted and we will watch more and more coral die. We could be the last generation to see healthy reefs if we don't take action.
This is really serious and I support this wholeheartedly. I am a ISRS member and co-director of Marine Conservation International. I am a marine scientist who has been working on coral reefs and coral reef fish for my career and the changes I have seen are devastating.
As a marine biologist who has witnessed coral bleaching and the decline of reef health in both the Pacific and Caribbean, I support this call on all nations at the Paris Climate Change Conference to commit to limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide to protect our coral reefs,
De vital importancia y urgencia de acción
Stop climate change!
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I direct the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation (ALTO) working in Indonesia at the heart of the Coral Triangle. We are witnessing the destruction of corals every day. In our area, this is literally a matter of life and death: as corals die, wildlife and people in our area go with them.