Ocean Conservancy

Conservation groups warn that the strong El Niño event is pushing ocean temperatures to levels that threaten coral reefs worldwide, with warming waters causing mass bleaching that corals may not survive. Environmental commentators describe the situation as an existential threat to reef ecosystems, which support roughly a quarter of marine life and protect coastlines.

Sir David Attenborough's latest documentary Ocean is drawing renewed attention to bottom trawling, with viewers describing footage of trawl gear crushing ancient cold-water coral gardens on the seabed as the worst environmental destruction they have ever seen. The film is prompting fresh discussion about the damage industrial fishing inflicts on deep-sea ecosystems.