A government agency reports that a mass coral bleaching event has impacted Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The event was likely triggered by heat stress accumulated during the summer.
On Friday, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), which monitors reef health, reported that the damage was “widespread” in at least two-thirds of the surveyed areas within the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The authority said in an update that “these surveys confirm a widespread, often called mass, coral bleaching event is unfolding across the Great Barrier Reef.”
According to the US government’s Coral Reef Watch program, global ocean temperatures have been at their highest recorded levels for nearly a year.
The program warns that the planet is on the brink of a fourth global mass coral bleaching event, which will affect reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and possibly the Indian Ocean.
Also read: Ocean temperatures hit a record high in February
Coral reefs play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, hosting over a quarter of Earth’s marine species, offering coastal protection, and acting as natural carbon storage. Their sensitivity to heat makes climate change the greatest threat to their existence.
Bleaching occurs when corals expel the colorful algae within their tissues, resulting in a whitening effect.
While corals can endure bleaching events, they may experience growth stunting and reproductive issues as a result.
