Nature · Facts & sources
5 sourced facts about ecology and ecosystems, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 8.7 million species
This 2011 estimate suggests the vast majority of Earth's species haven't even been formally described yet.
Source: Wikipedia - Biodiversity (2011) en.wikipedia.org
Answerat least 25%
Coral reefs cover less than 0.1% of the ocean's surface yet support a quarter of all marine life.
Source: Wikipedia - Coral reef (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 14%
Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are the leading causes of this rapid decline.
Source: Wikipedia - Coral reef (2018) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 284,300 km²
That's roughly the size of the entire United Kingdom, spread across tropical oceans worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia - Coral reef (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 50%
Roughly half of the world's shallow coral reefs have vanished within a single human lifetime.
Source: Wikipedia - Coral reef (2024) en.wikipedia.org