Coral reef bleaching, which negatively affects their health and the ecosystem in general, has reached record levels, now covering 84% of the world’s total reef area. About this reported International Coral Reef Initiative.
This is the fourth case of global coral bleaching since 1998. The current episode appeared to be more extensive than the previous one, which was observed between 2014 and 2017, when about two-thirds of the reefs were affected.
“We are witnessing something that is completely changing our planet and the ability of the oceans to support life and livelihoods.” – explained Mark Eakin, secretary of the International Coral Reef Initiative.
The year 2023 became the hottest during the entire period of meteorological observations. Most of the excess heat was absorbed by the oceans. The ocean surface temperature outside the polar regions reached a record +20.87°C.
This is critically dangerous for corals, which play a key role in preserving the marine ecosystem, developing tourism and protecting the coast from storms. They are often called “marine rainforests”, because about 25% of all marine species live in reefs. Due to the extreme intensity of the discoloration, scientists were forced to supplement the warning scale with new risk levels in order to adequately assess the threat of coral death.
Researchers are currently making significant efforts to preserve reefs. Laboratory cultivation of corals is carried out in Thailand. However, scientists emphasize that preserving reefs is impossible without fighting global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“The best way to protect coral reefs is to address the root cause of climate change. And that means reducing anthropogenic emissions, which are mostly the result of burning fossil fuels. Anything else looks more like a Band-Aid than a solution.” Mark Eakin noted.
