The World Wide Fund for Nature, a leading global conservation organization, has published the Living Blue Planet Report on the state of marine wildlife, its Korean office said Wednesday.

According to the report, the population of marine wildlife has decreased by half in the past 40 years, with some declining by nearly 75 percent.

Additionally, fish populations critical for human security were on the decline and coral reefs may completely disappear by 2050 due to climate change.

The report tracked 5,829 populations of 1,234 species, which is almost twice as large as previous studies and gives a clearer picture of the state of the ocean.

“In the space of a single generation, human activity has severely damaged the ocean by catching fish faster than they can reproduce while also destroying their nurseries. Profound changes are needed to ensure abundant ocean life for future generations,” said Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International.

WWF-Korea CEO Simon Yoon said that solutions exist to prevent further damage if we act within sustainable limits. “We must take this opportunity to support the ocean and reverse the damage while we still can,” he said.

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.

After 10 years of conservation work on the Korean Peninsula, WWF-Korea was launched in 2014, based in Seoul.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)