New Year New Gloom with research in Science journal indicating that coral on the Great Barrier Reef is growing at its slowest rate for at least 400 years.
The hidden threat to corals comes from global warming which is increasing acidification of the seas and stunting their growth.
Researchers used x-rays to measure the annual growth rings and discovered that while growth between 1900 and 1970 increased, it has now started to decline rapidly from 1.43 centimetres per year a decade ago to 1.24 centimetres per year.
Prof Glenn De'ath, who carried out the research at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, believes that the increased acidification of the sea due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is the main culprit.
With CO2 levels expected to double in the next 50 years, he believes the changes in the biodiversity are "imminent".
The Canberra Times said that if we are not careful, the reef could be gone in the next 40 years.
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