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Climate change is depleting one of the world’s most iconic ecosystems and unless preservation efforts are improved, the Great Barrier Reef is in serious risk of collapsing.
Photo credit: Ed Roberts via journal of Science.
According to research published in the journal Science, protecting the Great Barrier Reef from climate change requires enhanced local management to prevent pollution in order preserve the fragile ecosystem.
"Poor local management makes an ecosystem less tolerant to climate change and erodes its capacity to keep functioning effectively," said study lead author Professor Marten Scheffer from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
The Great Barrier Reef is under grave threat by ocean acidification and coral bleaching, both of which are induced by carbon dioxide emissions, read the research report.
If preservation efforts are not deemed a priority, local threats such as overfishing, nutrient runoff, and copious amounts of dredging will reduce the reef’s resilience to acidification and bleaching.
"It's an unfolding disaster. The reef needs less pollution from agricultural runoff and port dredging, less carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, and less fishing pressure. Ironically, Australia is still planning to develop new coal mines and expand coal ports, despite global efforts to transition quickly towards renewable energy," said co-author and Professor Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.
"If these systems collapse, it could mean the irreversible extinction of species," added Hughes. "UNESCO is concerned that Australia isn't doing enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef. It would be disastrous for the $6 billion reef tourism industry and Australia's reputation if they list the GBR as 'in danger.' We need to put science into action to prevent this from happening."
Caption: Satellite image of Great Barrier Reef. Photo credit: NASA Flickr.
Aside from the Great Barrier Reef, authors of the study examined two other UNESCO world Heritage Sites: Spain’s Doñana wetlands and the Amazon rainforest.
While many ecosystems are important to their local people, researchers outline the importance of these three particular ecosystems as substantial importance. For example, the Amazon rainforest acts as a climate regulator on a global scale.
"These ecosystems are of value to the whole world, not only to the countries that have jurisdiction over them. It may be necessary for other countries to bring pressure to bear on these 'host' countries or to offer them assistance, to ensure that these iconic ecosystems are protected for the benefit of all of humanity," said co-author and Professor Scott Barrett from Columbia University.
"Local management options are well understood and not too expensive. So there is really no excuse for countries to let this slip away, especially when it comes to ecosystems that are of vital importance for maintaining global biodiversity," concluded Scheffer.
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