A recent global report highlights a significant decrease in the percentage of living, hard coral stalks on the world’s reefs. Concerns about a looming El Niño peak intensify as new research indicates a potential rise in its severity, as evidenced by coral skeleton data. The 2025 report on the Status of Coral Reefs of the World reveals that marine heatwaves and global bleaching events have negatively impacted coral coverage, dropping it to around 25%. This marks a decline from the 30-40% coverage seen in the 1980s.
The lead author of the report, Manuel González Rivero, emphasizes not only the diminishing coral cover but also the shrinking recovery window due to more frequent extreme ocean heat events. The pace of recent coral cover depletion is alarming, with a 9.5% decline compared to previous decades. This decline is attributed to climate change impacts, as highlighted by Emily Darling, director of Coral Reefs at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The report, based on data from nearly 37,000 reef sites, shows a consistent downward trend in hard coral cover loss and recovery since 1980. Global bleaching events, triggered by elevated ocean temperatures causing corals to expel symbiotic algae and turn white, have further weakened the corals. Despite the potential for recovery, the frequency of global bleaching events has increased, leaving corals vulnerable to disease and death.
While some regions have witnessed growth in coral cover, the overall trend of decline is evident in key regions like Australia, the eastern Pacific, the Caribbean, and the area extending from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The report underscores the urgent need for action to protect coral reefs, which support a quarter of marine life and contribute significantly to economies and coastal protection worldwide.
Efforts to enhance coral resilience include local interventions to curb overfishing, pollution, and coastal development, as well as global measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rivero stresses the critical role of addressing climate change to halt the decline of coral reefs. The escalating threat from El Niño, compounded by climate change, poses a looming danger to coral health, underscoring the need for immediate action to safeguard these vital ecosystems.