How Will Coral Reefs Survive the Next Century?

About

Corals are extraordinary animals and the reefs they build have more concentrated biological diversity than rain forests. Nearly 25% of all marine fish species depend on corals for food, shelter and nursery habitat. An estimated 500 million people worldwide depend on coral reefs for food and income—that’s more than the entire population of the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined.

But today, a startling 75% percent of our reefs are threatened or gone and the rest are at risk of being lost in our lifetimes. Climate change is threatening coral reefs at a global scale. When such a global stressor combines with local threats, like overfishing and water pollution, it severely compromises the ability for corals to grow, reproduce and thrive.

Join us to watch CHASING CORAL– a recently-released film that provides a visual documentation of the toll that climate change is taking on coral reefs. Time-lapse photography enables you to witness the Great Barrier Reef as it goes through an actual bleaching event.

After the movie, we will host a follow up conversation with DR. MICHAEL WEBSTERfrom the CORAL REEF ALLIANCE, an Oakland-based organization whose mission is to unite communities to save coral reefs. Dr. Webster will share more about what scientists are predicting for the future of coral reefs and what people can do about it.

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