EZ TRIP

A child born in 2026 will be 24 years old in 2050. By then, coral reefs are projected to be functionally degraded. They'll be 74 in 2100 (if they live that long) when most remaining reefs will have ceased to exist as functioning ecosystems. Under current emissions trajectories, this isn't hypothetical. This is the timeline we're on.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects 70-90% coral decline if warming reaches 1.5°C. We're already at 1.1°C. NASA scientists estimate these declines could occur by 2050 or sooner. UNESCO's assessment of World Heritage coral reefs predicts they'll all cease to exist as functioning ecosystems by 2100 under business-as-usual emissions.

That child – and every child born today – will inherit a world without healthy coral reefs unless global emissions are drastically reduced. This is a climate problem, and it requires a climate solution.

It's easy to feel hopeless when thinking about the future. But it's important to remember that we can slow the decline. We may not be able to prevent global warming from degrading reefs – not with local action alone. But we can reduce the local stressors that accelerate decline and prevent recovery. We can reduce pollution. We can prevent physical damage. We can implement sustainable tourism. When bleaching events occur, we can help reefs recover faster and more completely by protecting them from additional stress.

This isn't false hope. The difference between a reef that degrades in 20 years and one that persists has a much higher possibility of recovery when global warming is finally addressed.

A child born today probably won't see thriving reefs in their lifetime. But they might see functioning reefs, surviving reefs, reefs that still support marine life and coastal communities. And that's worth fighting for, with everything we can control.