MSC Foundation Backs Landmark Global Coral Reef Ecosystems Assessment

MSC Foundation Backs Landmark Global Coral Reef Ecosystems Assessment, Linking Science to a Critical Window for Conservation Action 10/22/2026 As principal funder of the new assessment, MSC Foundation advances global scientific understanding of the status of coral reef ecosystems under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.

GENEVA - October 22, 2026 - The MSC Foundation supports a landmark global assessment, which finds that 96% of the world's shallow-water coral reef ecosystems are Critically Endangered and that nearly every assessed shallow-water coral reef ecosystem on the planet faces an extremely high risk of collapse by 2075.

Released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the UN biodiversity conference (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, this first global coral reef assessment under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems draws on decades of observations and climate data, bringing together more than 250 scientists and specialists and covering reefs in more than 80 countries and territories.

While coral reefs are already suffering significant damage, the assessment warns that the greatest threats lie ahead, making action now critical to preventing further losses and giving reefs a better chance to recover. Reducing anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs through pollution control, sustainable fisheries management, and the expansion of marine protected areas is essential to enhancing reef resilience and supporting ecosystem recovery in the face of marine heatwaves.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →