Worst bleaching on record for coral reef ecosystems
The worst coral bleaching recorded so far has been confirmed by scientists for tropical reefs from the western coastline of Australia.
While researchers still evaluate the entire damage by a sea heat wave, the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences confirmed the most common bleaching in the record for Western Australia.
“The length and intensity of heat stress and footprint in more than one region, most of the reefs in WA, something we’ve never seen before,” He said.
“The areas that give us hope, because Rowley Shoals, North Kimberley and Ningalooo have rarely not bleached or bleached before.”
The corals, which are sensitive to heat stress, fire the moss in their tissues in warm water, causing the pale of the coral.
Bleaching is not always fatal, but if the underwater temperature is long and severe, corals may die.
Last summer, the sea surface temperatures around Australia have been the hottest record since 1900, coral heat stress in January.
Conditions ranged from the “excess” or 90 percent bleached or “middle” from the dead, between 11 percent and 30 percent of tropical reefs spreading 1500km in a place.
The mermaid and clerk reefs in Rowley Shoals, 300 km west of Broome, recorded “very high” mortality levels between 61 percent and 90 percent.
Ningaloo Ref, which lists the world heritage known for its whale sharks, experienced a “high” bleaching and mortality between 31 percent and 60 percent.
Dr Gilmour said that climate change increases the frequency and severity of mass coral bleaching events and gives very little time to return between them.
“They need 10 to 15 years to fully recover,” he said.
“The key to helping coral reefs to survive under climate change is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Improvement of water quality and decrease in excessive hunting may also support the reef health.
The major barrier was also under pressure, and two of the three regions in 2024 experienced the biggest decline in the coral cover.
The heat stress was largely responsible, and the predatory outbreaks and cyclones also damaged the extensive ecosystem.
Updates in Mercan Health are paid in accordance with the rules of the Paris Agreement in September before the expected publication of the Federal Government’s 2035 climatic targets.
