Extinction risk ‘a poor measure of coral reef threats’

Marine scientists from James Cook University in north Queensland have called for changes in the way that threats to coral reefs and other ocean ecosystems are assessed.

In a paper published online in Current Biology, the JCU researchers say a fresh approach is needed that doesn’t narrowly focus on assessing extinction risks.

The study’s lead author, marine biologist Terry Hughes says the health and future of coral reefs are threatened long before individual species are in danger of extinction.