Coral reefs in Vanuatu are severely harmed by climate change, cyclones, and rising seas. John Warmington recalls vibrant reefs he dived in a decade ago, now transformed into a graveyard of bleached rubble. Cyclone Pam in 2015 caused significant damage, leading to the decline of coral due to sediment and predation by starfish. Subsequent cyclones and a significant earthquake devastated the remaining structures. Alongside increasing sea levels, legal actions by Vanuatu aim to address global climate obligations at the International Court of Justice, with support from over 130 nations for potential shifts in climate law.
What remains is a coral graveyard—bleached rubble scattered across the seabed, habitats collapsed, and life vanished. We have come out of the water in tears.
Since 1993, sea levels around Vanuatu's shores have risen by about 6mm per year—significantly faster than the global average—where tectonic activity has doubled that rate.
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