Published 2026-06-07 · data 2023 · percent of warm-water coral reefs
Most warm-water corals sit in the danger zone
Bleaching from heat waves hit most reef regions. Recovery slows as oceans warm.
Most of the world's warm-water coral reefs now sit in the danger zone: 84% face high or very high risk of severe bleaching as oceans warm and heat waves hit reef after reef. Of the reefs outside that zone, Asia and the Pacific hold the largest share, followed by Africa and the Americas. And as warming continues, reefs get less time to recover between bleaching events.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of warm-water coral reefs (0.1% of coral reefs at risk) · 1,000 cells
Context
The risk estimates come from an IPCC / Reefs at Risk reanalysis; as of 2023, the vast majority of warm-water reefs were exposed to severe bleaching risk, with heat waves hitting most reef regions.
Beyond the high-risk zone, Asia and the Pacific account for 8.3% of warm-water reefs, ahead of Africa at 4.5% and the Americas at 3.2%.
Coral reefs also sit outside the headline biodiversity trackers: the Living Planet Index compiled by ZSL and WWF covers vertebrates only and excludes corals, even as it records a 73% average decline across studied wildlife populations since 1970.
IPCC / Reefs at Risk reanalysis: vast majority of reefs exposed to severe bleaching risk.
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