The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its most widespread coral bleaching event, according to scientists who say record warm temperatures and warming oceans are threatening its fragile corals.
Coral bleaching occurs as a response to abnormal conditions, such as when ocean temperatures are cooler or warmer than usual, or when ocean water is more acidic than normal. These environmental stressors cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae that live in their tissues, causing the colorful and vibrant marine invertebrates to turn ghostly white.
In the 2016 bleaching event, 27 percent of the Great Barrier Reef’s corals died, and the following year, 22 percent were lost, meaningHughes said early satellite observations suggest this year’s bleaching is far more widespread across the reef compared to 2016 and 2017, but not as severe. The current bleaching event is happening even in the absence of El Niño conditions, according to Eakin.
Maintaining the health of the Great Barrier Reef carries enormous economic implications — the area is a designated World Heritage Site and has been valued at more than $50 billion — but the sprawling reef is also an important part of the ocean ecosystem. The reef, which covers an area almost 1,500 miles long off the coast of Queensland, is also home to a diverse array of marine life.
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