Corals are threatened by extinction. Large-scale mortality of corals in the Great Barrier Reef caused a stir this spring, however, the warming of the oceans had already led to coral bleaching worldwide in previous years. In line with the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), coral researcher Christian Voolstra from the University of Konstanz agrees that there is a good chance we will lose more than 90 percent of all corals by the end of the century: a mass extinction of one of the most important ecosystems in the sea, with dramatic consequences for millions of marine species – and also for humans.

Christian Voolstra and his colleagues are now proposing an unusual way to save the coral reefs: Declaring coral protection a human right. In the interview Voolstra, who is also president of the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS), explains what corals have to do with human rights and why the measure would actually speed up coral protection. A comprehensive article with detailed recommendations was published in the journal Global Change Biology.

• Read our interview with Christian Voolstra: https://www.campus.uni-konstanz.de/en/science/coral-protection-a-human-right

Key facts: Original publication: Emma F. Camp, Irus Braverman, Genevieve Wilkinson, Christian R. Voolstra, Coral reef protection is fundamental to human rights, Global Change Biology, 27 September 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17512 Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.17512 Christian Voolstra is professor of genetics of adaptation in aquatic systems at the University of Konstanz. With his research, he has been working for years to mitigate the impacts on corals from climate change. He is the president of the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS).