Current:Home > InvestAustralia says most Great Barrier Reef coral studied this year was bleached -AssetScope
Australia says most Great Barrier Reef coral studied this year was bleached
View
Date:2025-04-14 04:42:26
CANBERRA, Australia — More than 90% of Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed this year was bleached in the fourth such mass event in seven years in the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, Australian government scientists said.
Bleaching is caused by global warming, but this is the reef's first bleaching event during a La Niña weather pattern, which is associated with cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority said in its an annual report released late Tuesday that found 91% of the areas surveyed were affected.
Bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020 damaged two-thirds of the coral in the famed reef off Australia's eastern coast.
Coral bleaches as a heat stress response and scientists hope most of the coral will recover from the current event, said David Wachenfeld, chief scientist at the authority, which manages the reef ecosystem.
"The early indications are that the mortality won't be very high," Wachenfeld told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday.
"We are hoping that we will see most of the coral that is bleached recover and we will end up with an event rather more like 2020 when, yes, there was mass bleaching, but there was low mortality," Wachenfeld added.
The bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 led to "quite high levels of coral mortality," Wachenfeld said.
Last December, the first month of the Southern Hemisphere summer, was the hottest December the reef had experienced since 1900. A "marine heatwave" had set in by late February, the report said.
A United Nations delegation visited the reef in March to assess whether the reef's World Heritage listing should be downgraded due to the ravages of climate change.
In July last year, Australia garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural organization, to downgrade the reef's World Heritage status to "in danger" because of damage caused by climate change.
But the question will be back on the World Heritage Committee's agenda at its annual meeting next month.
veryGood! (963)
Related
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Trees Fell Faster in the Years Since Companies and Governments Promised to Stop Cutting Them Down
- Devastated Puerto Rico Tests Fairness of Response to Climate Disasters
- U.S. Suspends More Oil and Gas Leases Over What Could Be a Widespread Problem
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Multiple shark attacks reported off New York shores; 50 sharks spotted at one beach
- The BET Award Nominations 2023 Are Finally Here: See the Full List
- Natalee Holloway Suspect Joran Van Der Sloot Pleads Not Guilty in U.S. Fraud Case
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Puerto Rico Considers 100% Renewable Energy, But Natural Gas May Come First
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Firework injuries send people to hospitals across U.S. as authorities issue warnings
- Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Slams Narcissist Tom Sandoval For Ruining Raquel Leviss' Life
- Man slips at Rocky Mountain waterfall, is pulled underwater and dies
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The story behind the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner
- Elliot Page Recalls Having Sex With Juno Co-Star Olivia Thirlby “All the Time”
- Warming Trends: A Climate Win in Austin, the Demise of Butterflies and the Threat of Food Pollution
Recommendation
Small twin
BelVita Breakfast Sandwich biscuits recalled after reports of allergic reactions
California lawmakers to weigh over 100 recommendations from reparations task force
Trump’s Power Plant Plan Can’t Save Coal from Market Forces
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Game-Winning Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Sports Fan Dad
California Ups Its Clean Energy Game: Gov. Brown Signs 100% Zero-Carbon Electricity Bill
Get $95 Worth of Peter Thomas Roth Skincare Masks for 50% Off