Analysis Shows Coral Loss of 14% Worldwide

The largest global analysis of coral reef health ever undertaken indicates that rising ocean temperatures resulted in a 14% loss of global corals. The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020 report from NOAA and partners around the world also found indications of coral resilience in some locations, offering hope that coral reefs can recover if immediate steps are taken to curb future ocean warming.

“People around the world depend on healthy coral reefs and the services they provide for food, income, recreation, and protection from storms,” said Jennifer Koss, director of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. “It is possible to turn the tide on the losses we are seeing, but doing so relies on us as a global community making more environmentally conscious decisions in our everyday lives.”

This is the first report since 2008, which fills a significant gap in contemporary understanding of global status and trends in coral reefs. The analysis used data from nearly two million observations from more than 12,000 collection sites in 73 countries over a time span of 40 years (1978-2019), representing the work of over 300 scientists.