In the summer of 2018-2019, El Niño caused water temperatures to rise by up to 2°C, which affected corals on a large scale at different points along the Brazilian coast. Initial analyses by the Coral Vivo project indicate that the effects of the phenomenon were so intense that, for the first time, they place Brazil among the regions most affected by global warming in terms of this ecosystem.

The most affected species, according to the research data, was the fire coral, which reached a mortality rate of 90%. Until then, it was thought that this type was one of the most protected because it benefits from murky waters, which minimize solar radiation. “Even in the case of the fire coral species, whose rapid growth favors its recovery process, we realized that there is a greater risk to the biodiversity of the region's reefs,” says Carlos Henrique, researcher at Projeto Coral Vivo.

Know more: https://projetocolabora.com.br/ods14/corais-brasileiros-entram-no-mapa-das-especies-ameacadas/