Experts say high carbon emissions threaten 90 per cent of marine life. 

An international evaluation of climate risks faced by nearly 25,000 marine species reveals that almost 90 per cent are at high or critical risk if carbon emissions remain high until 2100. 

The research team looked at animals, plants, chromists, protozoans and bacteria that inhabit the upper 100 metres of oceans. 

They say under high greenhouse gas scenarios, almost 90 per cent of the species are predicted to experience a high or critical risk of not being able to survive in their current habitat across an average of 85 per cent of their geographical distribution. 

Threats are greatest for larger predator species, especially those harvested for food, and in low-income countries with a high dependence on fisheries, the researchers say. 

Mitigating emissions could reduce the risk for nearly all the species, and these findings could be used to prioritise the conservation of vulnerable marine species, the team concludes.

The full study is accessible here.