Scientists issue warning after making concerning discovery off US coast: 'We are witnessing an alarming decline'

A new study shows that most coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean have stopped growing and may start shrinking if temperatures continue to rise, according to the University of Exeter.

What's happening?

Coral reefs are not growing, dying out, and shrinking because of a number of human-related factors. Rising temperatures are key, but so are bad water quality and disease that spread among the coral. 

"We are witnessing an alarming decline in both the abundance and diversity of corals across Atlantic coral reefs," Lorenzo Álvarez-Filip of La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, one of the co-authors of the study, said.

The study, which was published in Nature, noted that rising temperatures also affect water levels along coastlines, which can further impact coral. 

Why is coral growth or lack thereof important?

The Environmental Protection Agency says that coral reefs are important for a number of reasons. They house a variety of marine life that wouldn't thrive in other places, providing food to both larger animals and people who live near the reefs. They also help protect coastal infrastructure when there are storms, floods, and more. 

If coral reefs die off, we may experience a loss of biodiversity as well as damage to inland areas that rely on the reefs for protection. 

What's being done about damage to coral reefs?

Studies such as this one are raising an alarm that we need to act on if we want to protect the reefs and, in turn, ourselves. Voting for politicians who care about protecting the environment can help get laws in place that protect reefs and fund further research.

Right now, researchers are trying to understand coral better and learning which strains tolerate warmer waters. Individuals who rely on reefs are working to preserve them, too, even if the population at large doesn't seem to care.

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