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https://theconversation.com/another-mass-bleaching-event-is-devastating-the-great-barrier-reef-what-will-it-take-for-coral-to-survive-180180>
"It’s official: the Great Barrier Reef is suffering its fourth mass bleaching
event since 2016. We dived into the reef yesterday and saw the unfolding crisis
firsthand.
Descending beneath the surface at John Brewer Reef near Townsville, our eyes
were immediately drawn to the iridescent whites, blues and pinks of stressed
corals among the deeper browns, reds and greens of healthier colonies.
It’s a depressing, but all-too-familiar feeling. A sense of: “here we go again”
This is the first time the reef has bleached under the cooling conditions of
the natural La Niña weather pattern, which shows just how strong the long-term
warming trend of climate change is. Despite the cooling conditions, 2021 was
one of the hottest years on record.
When coral bleaches, it is not dead – yet. Coral reefs that suffer widespread
bleaching can still recover if conditions improve, but it’s estimated to take
up to 12 years. That is, if there’s no new disturbance in the meantime, such as
a cyclone or another bleaching event.
So what conditions are needed for coral recovery? And under what conditions
will coral die?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
