Coral reefs, climate change, and mass extinction

Abstract

The term "extinction" is a loaded phrase when applied to coral reefs. Often, it is applied to coral reefs generically, with the phrase "extinction of coral reefs" appearing regularly in the scientific and popular press (e.g., it appeared more than 15,000 times when typed into the Google search engine, June 4, 2011). This phrase is generally used to describe the disappearance ofcoral reefs as an ecosystem, which is very distinct from the extinction of a particular coral reef species. This distinction becomes increasingly important when considering the likely outcome for coral reefs and their biodiversity under rapid global change.