Coral reefs of western Indian Ocean at risk of collapse: study

Fish swimming by a healthy coral reef in the Indian ocean's channel off Pate island in the Lamu archipelago off the coast of Kenya. Photo: Tony Karumba/AFP

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing threaten coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean with complete collapse in the next 50 years, according to a groundbreaking study of these marine ecosystems.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Sustainability recently, warned that reefs along the eastern coast of Africa and island nations like Mauritius and Seychelles faced a high risk of extinction unless urgent action was taken.