Reefs at Risk


According to scientists, more than half of the world’s coral reefs are at risk of vanishing in the next 25 years. Rising temperatures throughout the world are a major threat to the survival of the reefs and their inhabitants. Temperatures throughout the world are higher than usual, scientists report. Many experts believe it is part of a larger trend known as global warming. Global warming is a rise in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, caused by the greenhouse effect. This is when gases like carbon dioxide collect in the earth’s atmosphere, keeping the sun’s heat from escaping. As temperatures rise, our planet is feeling the effect. Ecosystems where animals and plants live in balance together—like coral reefs—are beginning to disappear because the higher temperatures can affect food supplies. As summer’s warm temperatures begin to drop slightly in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, scientists are hoping to see some change in the strength of the world’s coral reefs.

(Resource : http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7854)

Kim Jin ah