CANBERRA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- As climate change accelerates, coral reefs worldwide are facing mass bleaching and death, but a new study has found that restoration efforts fall short in fight against reef loss.

The study reveals key obstacles to the success of coral restoration to improve coral resilience and ensure the long-term survival of these vital ecosystems, Flinders University said in a release while publishing the study on Tuesday evening.

While efforts like coral gardening -- growing coral in nurseries and transplanting them to reefs -- offer hope, researchers warn these efforts are not enough to reverse the widespread damage, it said, adding coral cover could decline by more than 90 percent by the end of the century.

Most restoration programs are too small-scale and costly, often targeting reefs that are already severely damaged and vulnerable to future climate stresses, according to the study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

"The truth is that without stemming the pace and magnitude of climate change, we have little power to save coral reefs from massive losses over the coming century and beyond," said Flinders University Professor Corey Bradshaw, one of the study authors who estimated that over a third of restoration projects fail.

Climate change-driven warming seas and marine heatwaves are the main causes for coral bleaching, with overfishing and pollution exacerbating the problem, Flinders University said. Enditem

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