Less than 25 years. That's the time it will take for 60 percent of the coral reefs to die. This was the prediction of coral reef experts, citing pollutants - such as runoff from construction sites and toxins from boat paints - and global warming as the main culprits.

According to Tyler Smith of the University of the Virgin Islands, "Given current rates of degradation of reef habitats, this is a plausible prediction." The loss of corals in the Carribean waters a year ago supported this forecast. And at the World Conservation Union last year, scientists estimated that by 2045, half of all reefs could actually die.

Silt runoff from construction sites actually prevent the corals from getting enough sunlight. Apart from this, a record boom of fleshy, green algae also adds to the problem as they are in direct competition with the corals for sunlight. On a bigger scale though, it is climate change that mainly affects coral reefs. Because of the rising sea temperatures, the reefs lose their pigments, thus making them more susceptible to disease and  more vulnerable to pollutants.

In the last 50 years, up to 30 percent of the world's coral reefs have died, while another 30 percent are severely damaged. And of course, you may very well expect that with the population of reefs dwindling down, marine life will definitely be the ones to be hit the hardest, much more than scuba-diving hobbyists.