Rising Ocean Temperatures From Climate Change Threatens One-Third Of The World

“In the first major global event in 1998, more than half the Great Barrier Reef experienced bleaching with about 5 to 10 per cent of the corals dying”.

It narrowly avoided being put on the United Nations World Heritage in-danger list this year, with Canberra now working on a plan to improve the reef’s health over successive decades.

Severe coral bleaching, which often proves lethal for corals, occurs when corals discharge their colorful algae due to stressful conditions.

The first two documented global bleaching events occurred in 1998 and 2010.

Though there is no place with coral that has not been hit by bleaching, there are a few regions like Hawaii that have been hit harder than others.

The wind changes across the globe have also caused the shift of locations for bleaching this year. The process turns the corals completely white.

The reef – the world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem – is already struggling from the threat of climate change, as well as farming run-off, development and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish.

But with a very strong El Niño driving record global temperatures and a huge patch of hot water, known as “the Blob,” hanging obstinately in the north-western Pacific, things look far worse again for 2016.

Meanwhile, scientists say that bleaching events are not only caused by warm water.

After widespread devastation was confirmed in the Caribbean this month, a worldwide consortium of coral scientists joined on Thursday to somberly announce the third-ever global bleaching event-and warn of a tenuous future for the precious habitat unless sharp cuts were made to carbon emissions.

Nancy Knowlton, an expert on coral reefs with the Smithsonian Institution disclosed that reports of coral bleaching in various parts of the world have been filtering in, but the official confirmation is now here, and more bad news could come considering the fact that El Nino is now gathering strength.

NOAA researchers recommend people living on the coasts with bleached corals not to stress them out more and refrain from overfishing and spreading pollution such as washing their cars and allowing chemicals from cleaning products to reach the ocean.

“Last year’s bleaching at Lisianski Atoll was the worst our scientists have seen”, said Randy Kosaki, NOAA’s deputy superintendent for the monument.

Usually, only 1/10th of 1 percent of the ocean floor of the world is covered by coral reefs, but approximately 25 percent of marine species is supported.

Like rainforests on land, coral reefs are home to a riot of biodiversity.

Reefs also provide protection from storms, and bring in millions in tourism dollars. According to Nature.com, “We’re in shock and awe of what’s happening”, says Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a marine scientist at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.