A new Australian government report claims that ocean temperatures rose in 2024, making coral bleaching the most widespread on record in the Great Barrier Reef.
The reef health was examined by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) on Wednesday, and the results were “most spatially extensive” bleaching since records began in 1986, which was “predominantly fueled by climate change-induced heat stress.”
The southernmost third of the reef, where there is the highest recorded level of heat stress, saw a decrease in coral cover of almost one-third, down to just 26.9 percent, according to scientists.
The authors of the study wrote in The Conversation that “the declines in the north and south were the largest in a single year since monitoring began 39 years ago.”
The Great Barrier Reef, which is characterized as the largest living structure in the world, is a 2,300 km (1,400 km) long stretch of tropical corals with a stunning range of biodiversity.
According to Professor Selina Stead, the CEO of AIMS, “mass bleaching events are occurring more frequently and more intensely.”
Stead said, “The future of the world’s coral reefs depends heavily on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
She added that it was also crucial to manage local pressures and aiding in the reefs’ “adaptation to and recovery from the impacts of climate change.”
The Great Barrier Reef is home to the largest collection of coral reefs in the world, including 400 different types of coral, according to UNESCO, which has designated it as a World Heritage Site.
According to UNESCO, it also has 1,500 different species of fish, 4, 000 different types of molluscs, 240 different bird species, and dugong and large green turtle species.
The Australian government has fought to keep the Great Barrier Reef off the endangered list because it fears it will have an impact on the billions of dollars in tourism revenue it generates annually.
The Great Barrier Reef could be protected from climate change, according to Australia’s Climate Change Authority, which released a report last week. Major fossil-fuel exporting nations are also able to adopt low- and zero-emission alternatives, and take stronger measures against climate pollutants like methane, which “contribute most to near-term climate warming.”
However, Australia continues to be a major exporter of fossil fuels, including coal from the contentious Adani coal mine, which is exported beyond the Great Barrier Reef.
Source: Aljazeera
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