05/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 5 February, the European Union confirmed its membership of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), a partnership of around 90 organisations and countries who have committed to act together to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems by sustainably managing coral reefs and associated ecosystems. “The protection of these vital marine ecosystems is of great importance to biodiversity, sustainable food supply and the global climate system”, said the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, while highlighting the pressures placed exerted on the oceans as a result of human activity (overfishing, plastic pollution, acidification of the oceans, etc). According to IPBES experts, coral reefs are expected to decline and shrink to the level of 10–30% of their original cover if warming of 1.5°C occurs, and to less than 1% with warming of 2°C. (DG)