Coral Triangle

Climate change is already affecting coastal ecosystems in the Coral Triangle through warming seas, ocean acidification, rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

Coral bleaching

The ocean waters of the Coral Triangle have warmed steadily since the 1970s and are expected to warm an additional 2-7 degrees F by the end of the century.

Reef-building corals cannot survive if the water keeps warming. They rely on algae living inside them to supply them with food. It is these algae that create the brilliant colors of healthy coral. If it gets too hot, the algae die which leaves coral with a bleached appearance and leads to the starvation of the coral.

In 2010, a massive coral bleaching event struck the Coral Triangle. Reef damage was widespread throughout the region, including marine parks and world-renowned dive sites. Corals support a host of marine life—from sea turtles to clownfish—so such bleaching events have serious impacts beyond corals themselves.

Ocean acidification

Not only are ocean waters warming, but they are also absorbing more carbon dioxide (CO₂)—a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. CO₂ alters the ocean’s pH balance, making it more acidic and toxic to some marine organisms.

Shellfish and corals are extremely vulnerable to ocean acidification, as it interferes with their ability to form their hard skeletons. Scientists have recently discovered that if the acidity of the water is too high, young clownfish cannot find their way back to their reef homes, and they also lose their ability to detect predators.

For nearly 80 years, Tai Butani of Fiji has known exactly when to harvest the salt from the flats, based on the timing of the dry season and her careful observation of natural cues, such as the movement of mud crabs from their burrows. Nowadays, rains come prematurely, and mud crabs do not leave their burrows when they used to. Her traditional knowledge for saltmaking has become unreliable due to these changes.
© WWF-SPPO

Other climate impacts

Climate change is also causing sea levels to rise—a big threat to coastal communities in the Coral Triangle. The region is already suffering from more intense rains with damaging floods. Climate change will likely increase the frequency of these extreme weather events, including more severe cyclones and typhoons.

Our work

Safeguarding healthy reefs

WWF works to protect marine areas from overfishing and other stresses so they have a better chance of recovering from climate change impacts such as bleaching. Read more. 

Natural storm protection

Mangroves protect shorelines in the Coral Triangle from storm surges and erosion—essential in the face of future climate impacts. WWF has worked to protect them in the islands of Fiji. Read more.