UN Biodiversity Expert Warns El Niño Could Trigger Devastating Coral Reef Damage
A strengthening El Niño could pose a serious threat to the world’s coral reefs, according to marine scientist David Obura, chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the UN’s expert biodiversity panel.
In an interview reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and published by Phys.org on October 15, 2026, Obura warned that unusually warm ocean temperatures could push vulnerable coral species closer to extinction. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean and can contribute to higher global temperatures…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.