Protect coral reefs, say scientists

In an unprecedented move, more than 2,000 of the world's leading marine researchers released in Cairns, Australia, their Consensus Statement on Climate Change and Coral Reefs. They are attending the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium in Australia.

Terry Hughes, convener of the symposium and director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, said: "When it comes to coral reefs, prevention is better than cure. If we look after the Great Barrier Reef better than we do now, it will continue to support a vibrant tourism industry into the future."

"Unfortunately, the rush to get as much fossil fuel out of the ground as quickly as possible before the transition to alternative sources of energy occurs, has pushed environmental concerns far into the background," Hughes was quoted as saying in an ARC Centre statement.