Coral reefs facing the challenges of global change
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As a part of the cycle of conferences for the 150th anniversary of the EPHE, organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Serge Planes, director of studies, and scientific director of the Tara Pacific expedition, gives a lecture entitled "Coral reefs facing the challenges of the changes of the planet".
Under the impact of humans, our planet is undergoing thorough changes that affect our ecosystems, with coral reefs in the forefront. This issue will be at the heart of Serge Planes' conference, a topic which he has been studying for over thirty years. Affected by climate change as well as the urbanization of the coastlines, coral reefs are particularly threatened. Even if CO2 emissions are reduced, there will be a rapid change in climate that impacts coral reefs. In addition, CO2 emissions are not the only factor responsible for environmental changes: coastal urbanization has transformed the coastline into a receptacle for various new chemical, light or sound pollution that contributes to global climate change.
The survival of reef organisms is now directly threatened by the frequency, intensity and diversity of unprecedented environmental changes in the 21st century. For Serge Planes, there is no longer any doubt that the coral reefs at the end of the century will be different from those we know today. Understanding the future of these reefs is essential in order to provide a basis for future research aimed at anticipating the impact of this alteration on societies.
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