Great Barrier Reef hit by fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years

According to AIMS, this regularly occurring modern phenomenon of bleaching is a direct consequence of ocean warming driven by climate change.

When corals face extreme stressors such as heightened temperatures, they expel the nutritious and colourising algae living inside their branches, resulting in bleaching.

Historical records indicate mass bleaching events in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. However, prior to these occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef’s 500-year coral history lacked evidence of such extensive bleaching.

The unfolding crisis on the Great Barrier Reef echoes similar distressing reports from reefs worldwide over the past year. Climate change has exacerbated the impact of El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean, driving sea surface temperatures to record highs.

📢 BREAKING: The #GreatBarrierReef is facing its fifth coral bleaching crisis in just 8 years, with some corals already lost. ⚠️

This is happening even in areas previously untouched by extreme temperatures.

The #ClimateCrisis is threatening people & nature around the world. pic.twitter.com/R0tUDocBvu

— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) March 8, 2024

As the world watches in dismay, questions arise about the fate of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral system spanning over 2,300 kilometers across 320 reefs off Australia’s northeast coast.

‘The Great Barrier Reef ecosystem is so vast, comparable in size to Italy, so the heat stress across it isn’t uniform,’ explained Dr. Neal Cantin, senior research scientist for AIMS. ‘As a result, we are witnessing differences between reefs in terms of the extent of coral whitening.’

Bleaching, though a stress response from which corals can potentially recover, leaves them vulnerable to disease while prolonged or intense heat could lead to the death of corals, further exacerbating the crisis.

Dr. Cantin emphasised the continued need for aerial and in-water surveys to document the extent, depth, and severity of coral bleaching across the Great Barrier Reef to understand the true consequences of the recent bleaching event.

As the world grapples with the repercussions of climate change, the urgent need to protect and preserve our planet’s fragile ecosystems has never been more evident.

The Great Barrier Reef stands as a poignant reminder of the collective responsibility we all share to safeguard our natural heritage for generations to come.