CANBERRA (Reuters) - Coral reefs in shallow ocean waters are far more vulnerable to sea temperature rises blamed on global warming than previously thought, with some areas of the Great Barrier Reef likely to pass critical damage thresholds in roughly 30 years.
Australian researchers looked at shallow corals, found in tropical waters under 70 meters (230 ft) in depth, along Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef, and found that even tiny increases in overall ocean acidity could lead to extreme changes.
"Honestly, we thought damaging thresholds would not be crossed in coral reefs this century. Now we know that for parts of the day, at least on our reef, it will be passed by 2040," said the study's lead author, Emily Shaw.