Oceans, Forests, Ice – Biodiversity in Crisis
summary
Coral reefs cover ~1% of the ocean yet harbor >30% of marine biodiversity, provide >$10 trillion/yr in services, and face 99% of coral reefs by 2100 under business‑as‑usual warming; recommended actions are CO2 cuts, better local water management, MPAs and active restoration. Madagascar hosts >1,000 endemic amphibian and reptile species with 310 species described and >100 awaiting description despite massive habitat loss and a tripling human population since 1985. Pleistocene evidence shows a mammoth step collapse after human-driven megafauna loss. Museums supply the natural history collections baseline used for field guides, red‑listing, reserve design and predictive models.
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