4th global coral reef bleaching event underway as oceans continue to warm: NOAA
4th global coral reef bleaching event underway as oceans continue to warm: NOAA ABC News
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Significant Coral Bleaching Reported Across the Globe
As the world’s oceans experience unprecedented rising temperatures, significant coral bleaching has been reported across the globe, according to experts.
Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event Confirmed
On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported the fourth global bleaching event on record and the second in the last 10 years.
Extent of Coral Bleaching
“From February 2023 to April 2024, significant coral bleaching has been documented in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of each major ocean basin,” Derek Manzello, Ph.D., NOAA CRW coordinator, said in a press release Monday.
Causes and Impact of Coral Bleaching
According to the National Ocean Service, warmer ocean temperatures can result in expulsion of algae that live in the coral tissue. This leaves the coral completely white, known as coral bleaching. Coral bleaching does not necessarily mean corals will die, according to NOAA, which noted that corals can recuperate if the strain on their ecosystems is reduced.
At a local level, storms, disease, sediments and changes in salinity can cause corals to bleach, however, mass bleaching, when several varieties of coral reefs are bleached, is largely caused by increased sea temperatures, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Record High Sea Surface Temperature
Last month, the average global sea surface temperature reached a record 69.93 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Global Impact of Coral Bleaching
Since early 2023, mass bleaching of coral reefs has been confirmed in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, basins including parts of Florida and the U.S. Coastline, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Australia, the South Pacific, the Persian Gulf, coasts of East Africa, as well as Indonesia, according to the NOAA report.
“As the world’s oceans continue to warm, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and severe,” Manzello said. “When these events are sufficiently severe or prolonged, they can cause coral mortality, which hurts the people who depend on the coral reefs for their livelihoods.”
Coral bleaching does not necessarily mean corals will die, according to NOAA, which noted that corals can recuperate if the strain on their ecosystems is reduced.
Efforts to Increase Coral Resilience
In 2019, NOAA and the National Academies of Sciences published the study Interventions to Increase the Resilience of Coral Reefs, which provided “resilience-based management practices” and heightened the importance of coral restoration.
abcnews.go.com
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