Nearly half of reef-building corals face extinction risk due to climate change

New research indicates that approximately 44% of reef-building coral species are at an increased risk of extinction, primarily driven by climate change-related heat stress. The study, which reassessed 774 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, updates a 2008 assessment and highlights the urgent need to limit global warming to protect coral populations. The findings were published in Nature.