<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/15/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-global-heating>
"Global heating has pushed the world’s coral reefs to a fourth planet-wide mass
bleaching event that is on track to be the most extensive on record, US
government scientists have confirmed.
Some 54% of ocean waters containing coral reefs have experienced heat stress
high enough to cause bleaching, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Coral Reef Watch said.
A global bleaching event is declared when at least 12% of corals in each of the
main ocean basins – Pacific, Atlantic and Indian – experience bleaching-level
heat stress within a 12-month period. The declaration also requires confirmed
reports of bleaching.
Coral Reef Watch also confirmed the world’s largest coral reef system –
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – had been through its most widespread heat
stress event on record in 2024.
The first global bleaching event happened in 1998 with 20% of the ocean’s reef
corals exposed to a level of heat stress high enough to cause bleaching. The
second event, in 2010, saw 35% reaching that threshold, and the third from 2014
to 2017 peaked at 56%.
Dr Derek Manzello, the Coral Reef Watch director, told the Guardian the current
bleaching was likely to surpass the previous most widespread event soon
“because the percentage of reef areas experiencing bleaching-level heat stress
has been increasing by roughly 1% per week”."
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
