Warming seas and acidification are putting the region’s coral reefs on the edge of collapse.

A new study published in Nature paints a grim picture for coral reefs in the western Atlantic. Researchers analyzed more than 400 reef sites and fossil reef records, concluding that most corals from Florida to Bonaire will stop growing by 2040. The study, led by Professor Chris Perry of the University of Exeter, warns that if global warming exceeds 2°C, over 99 percent of reefs could be eroding by 2100, leaving marine ecosystems dangerously vulnerable.








