Global warming triggers coral reef bleaching tipping point: This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Climate change impacts.

1 Goreau-Hayes Coral Reef Bleaching Hot Spot Map from the NOAA Coral Reef Watch Daily 5 km coral bleaching record (coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/product/5 km), Accessed September 26, 2020. Global warming triggers coral reef bleaching tipping point: This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. The sudden outbreak of mass coral reef bleaching around the world in the 1980s was unprecedented, the first natural ecosystem threat from global warming, and an urgent alarm call for concerted efforts to reverse global warming. There has been minimal progress towards enhancement of local reef management capacity in coral reef countries by documenting environmental history, understanding the causes of present changes, and preparing for future developments while coral reef science represents scientific tourism rather than local priorities. [Extracted from the article]