84% OF CORAL REEFS WORLDWIDE ARE IMPACTED BY THE MOST SEVERE BLEACHING EVENT EVER RECORDED
According to the International Coral Reef Initiative, the worst bleaching event on record has affected 84% of the world's coral. This outbreak is the fourth of its kind to be documented since 1998, overtaking the most devastating bleaching episode that occurred from 2014 to 2017.
This is catastrophic for the entire ocean environment, not just coral reefs. Coral reefs, also known as "rainforests of the sea," are essential to the biodiversity of the ocean. Around, on, or in coral reefs are around 25% of the ocean's species. Because coral shields coasts from erosion and storms, promotes tourism in some areas and, of course contributes to seafood production and consumption.
The duration of the current bleaching event, which started in 2023, is uncertain, according to experts. Ocean warming, a direct result of climate change, is thought to be the cause of its comeback. “We may never see the heat stress that causes bleaching [drop] below the threshold that triggers a global event,” says Mark Eakin, executive secretary of the International Coral Reef Society and former coral monitoring chief for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This is "something that's completely transforming the face of our world and the ability of our oceans to sustain lives and livelihoods," according to Eakin. Oceans are bearing the brunt of this drastic temperature shift, since last year was the hottest on record. At a record 70.57°F, the average water temperature of the oceans away from the north and south poles is lethal to corals because it initiates the bleaching process.
Corals get their colour from the algae that dwell inside them, which also serve as a food source. Long-term exposure to excessive heat triggers the release of harmful substances from the algae that live inside the coral. The coral then expels the algae, losing its colour and goes through a process called "bleaching" that results in a white skeleton. The coral weakens and becomes more vulnerable to dying.
The current bleaching episode is so severe that in order to fully account for the risk of coral death, NOAA's Coral Reef Watch program had to add more levels to its scale.
Around the world, there have been numerous initiatives to preserve and repair coral. One such instance is the attempt by Dutch scientists to establish a coral propagation "zoo." Similar to how gardeners grow plants, these scientists are attempting to produce coral pieces from damaged reefs all over the world in a controlled atmosphere. The ultimate objective is to replenish declining reefs where necessary by reintroducing these mature corals to the wild.
Scientists are saving endangered corals from extreme heat, restoring their health, and reintroducing them to the ocean in other locations, such as off the coast of Florida. Eakin and many others concur that "addressing the core cause of climate change is the best strategy to safeguard coral reefs" despite these initiatives. Furthermore, he asserts that this entails "cutting down on human emissions, which are largely caused by burning fossil fuels. Everything else seems more like a Band-Aid than a solution."
"I think people really need to realise what they're doing... inactivity is the kiss of death for coral reefs," says Melanie McField, co-chair of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network's Caribbean Steering Committee. We must all do our share, both individually and collectively, to safeguard our planet and its biodiversity as coral watch groups keep an eye on the bleaching catastrophe.
