Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services

•Coral reef habitat, biodiversity, fisheries, effort, and food-web impacts are evaluated•Global coverage of living coral has declined by half since the 1950s•Catch associate fishes per unit effort decreased 60% 1950•Coral reefs’ capacity to provide ecosystem services 1950s Coral ecosystems important for tropical subtropical coastal communities, small-island developing states, Indigenous peoples because they such as food provision, livelihood opportunities, carbon sequestration, protection from storms. We have derived global estimates key provided reefs: catches coral-reef-associated fishes, abundance consumption peoples. Our study indicates that reefs relied on millions people worldwide 1950s. Achieving climate-change-emissions targets reducing local can reduce stress reefs, allowing them persist. facing climate change, overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution. The cumulative effect these is unknown. Here, we evaluate changes in extent fishery biodiversity. 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