Major gas projects could cause critical damage to Mozambique's coral reef.
What happened?
Oil and gas giant TotalEnergies allegedly cut through a coral reef while preparing for a "liquefied natural gas project in Cabo Delgado," Mongabay reported.
This is just one of several similar projects in the area, all of which could damage the already-sensitive reef.
Louis Goddard, a fossil fuel industry analyst, said the companies might struggle to build within environmental restrictions.
"My impression from the project docs is that the developers were caught flat-footed by the extent of the coral and other rich marine environments around the project site and face a pretty tricky task to build anything without significant damage," he said, per Mongabay.
Why is the coral damage concerning?
These projects will have a significant, negative impact on the coral reef — photos show it's already begun.
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"Data scientists analyzing satellite imagery and vessel data have found that a massive chunk of coral has been dredged out of the ecologically sensitive reef," Mongabay reported.
Coral reefs are often called the "rainforests of the sea," and these biodiversity hotspots provide shelter for 25% of all marine life, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Reefs also create jobs through tourism and fishing, protect shorelines from erosion, and are utilized in medical research.
Unfortunately, coral reefs are critically threatened. Ocean acidification, overfishing, pollution, and coastal construction are killing reefs at an alarming rate.
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$200 or more 💰 They've already passed their critical tipping point, per the Coral Restoration Foundation, and many reefs are close to extinction.
Daniel Ribeiro, a member of the environmental justice organization Justiça Ambiental, stressed the urgency of restoring the reef before too much damage is done.
"Of all the tropical oceans, the Indian Ocean by the Mozambique Channel is the ocean with the highest surface temperature increase, so corals are under stress," Ribeiro told Mongabay. "The ability to recover after damage is much lower because of these factors."
What's being done to restore the reefs?
Urgent conservation work is crucial to protect threatened coral reefs.
Limiting fishing, reducing pollution, and establishing strictly protected areas can help protect and preserve coral reefs.
Researchers are breeding and raising heat-tolerant corals to then transplant into existing reefs. Growing new coral can alleviate some stress on the reef, but it's not a long-term solution.
Without swift and significant changes to address a shifting climate, all coral will meet the same fate.
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