By: David Adam Animal, vegetable and mineral, a pristine
tropical coral reef is one of the natural wonders of the world.
Bathed in clear, warm water and thick with a psychedelic display
of fish, sharks, crustaceans and other sea life, the colourful
coral ramparts that rise from the sand are known as the
rainforests of the oceans. And with good reason. Reefs and
rainforests have more in common than their beauty and
bewildering biodiversity. Both have stood for millions of years,
and yet both are poised to disappear. If you thought you had
heard enough bad news on the environment and that the situation
could not get any worse, then steel yourself. Coral reefs are
doomed. The situation is virtually hopeless. Forget ice caps and
rising sea levels: the tropical coral reef looks like it will
enter the history books as the first major ecosystem wiped out
by our love of cheap energy. Today, a report from the Australian
government agency that looks after the nation's emblematic Great
Barrier Reef reported that "the ov