Global warming is taking its toll on the planet and around the globe, both on land and in the sea. Climate changes and rising sea temperatures combined with pollution that is steadily poisoning our seas is leading to a downward spiral in the health and stability of the world's oceans. This wave of destruction caused by the industries of the world and other human activity is now claiming the Great Barrier Reef as its latest victim. In a recent statement released by a former member of the team of scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science it was made clear that the damage we have done to the planet, especially to the oceans, is now coming back to haunt us.

According to Dr. Charlie Veron, the Great Barrier Reef will be no more within just two decades from now based on the predicted levels of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) that are expected in the coming decades from 2030 to 2060. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest marine ecosystems in the world and it is an extremely important location for marine biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef provides a habitat, hunting grounds, and breeding grounds for hundreds of marine animals and plays a vital role in the health and stabilization of our oceans which in turn regulate our weather, absorb harmful radiation from the sun, and provides the majority of the planet's oxygen.

As devastating as the loss of the Great Barrier Reef will be, it is only the beginning. Dr. Veron warns that if the levels of Carbon Dioxide and other pollutants reach the predicted levels, this will be only the first in a series of a global collapse of ecosystems and that all coral reefs, not only the Great Barrier Reef, shall see extinction. Because coral reefs are very fragile ecosystems, they are more susceptible to climate change and other environmental factors. However, it is believed that they are only the first of many ecosystems to collapse in the coming years if conditions do not change. Further, since the coral reefs are a center of marine biodiversity, the ripple effect of coral extinctions will be felt through out the entire ocean in some way or another by both the inhabitants and the species that immigrate to the reefs from around the globe. 

This rapid extinction will happen so quickly because of the large amounts of Carbon Dioxide which present two threats to the coral reefs. First, as we know, Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas which means that it is a contributor to the global warming effect which is increasing the temperature of the sea, particularly in the areas where coral reefs are. This rising temperature results in the bleaching of coral, which kills off the reef. Additionally, as carbon dioxide enters into the water it changes the pH levels, or acidity, of the water making it inhospitable to the life of the coral reef.

The comments by Dr. Veron and others addressing this issue see this loss will be the first horrific picture of a nightmare that many environmentalists have been warning us for decades...our planet is dying.