Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven beach, Australia

Diverse aquatic species include leatherback turtles and clown fish, the Great Barrier Reef needs no introduction. The world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi), the Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.more acidic. This change in water chemistry inhibits the capability of corals, whose skeletons are composed of calcium carbonate, to grow. However, the high water temperatures are also a reason to affect the ecology of the reefs and turn the coral white, this is a process known as "coral bleaching." While the scientific models show both ocean acidification and ocean temperatures spiking to unparalleled levels over the next 100 years.

A global plan to save coral reefs from complete abolition caused by climate change, pollution, and poor fishing practices launched today at The Economist World Ocean Summit. While this initiative is called 50 Reefs, which brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists as well as protection practitioners from around the world to develop a list of the 50 most critical coral reefs to protect.

However, the 50 Reefs is the first global initiative to save the most bio-diverse ecosystem on the planet. The final list and corresponding initiatives, to be announced later this year and will help to raise awareness of the increasing severity of climate change impacts on the ocean and catalyze the global action and asset required to guard these important reef systems for the future.The launch comes at a dangerous moment for coral reefs, as current estimates indicate that 90 percent will disappear by 2050. While a unique philanthropic alliance of innovators in business, technology, and a government is supporting 50 Reefs, led by Bloomberg Philanthropies with The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, with an aim of preventing the worst social, economic, and environmental impacts of this massive crisis.
The 50 Reefs proposal builds on The Ocean Agency and the Global Change Institute at The University of Queens land shared understanding carrying out the most inclusive global survey of coral reefs and coral bleaching ever recorded in partnership with XL Catlin and Google. This program is also the subject of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winning documentary, “Chasing Coral".