- Written by Tiffany Turnbull
- BBC News, Sydney
image source, Getty Images
Coral bleaching is often fatal
Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef is experiencing another mass bleaching event, officials have confirmed.
Often fatal bleaching occurs when heat-stressed corals expel the algae that give them life and color.
This is the fifth time in eight years that large-scale damage has been confirmed at a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
So far in 2016, only two large-scale bleaching events have been recorded, and scientists say urgent climate action is needed to keep coral reefs alive.
Stretching over 2,300 km (1,400 miles) off Australia’s northeast coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral system and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems.
The statue has been on the World Heritage List for more than 40 years due to its “extreme scientific and fundamental importance”, but UNESCO says it is under “serious threat”. .
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said in a statement on Friday that ocean temperatures in the national park had been rising for some time during the summer.
A large-scale aerial survey of around 300 coral reefs from the tip of Australia to the city of Bundaberg on the east coast has confirmed that bleaching is progressing on most of them.
The severity and depth of bleaching can only be determined through underwater surveys conducted by the Coral Reef Management Authority.
It added that while the damage is widespread, it is likely to vary widely across the reef, and that some corals may be able to recover as conditions cool.
“It’s important to remember that the Great Barrier Reef is larger than Italy and the impacts on the reef are very diverse,” said lead scientist Roger Beeden.
“Coral reefs have demonstrated the ability to recover from previous coral bleaching events, severe tropical cyclones, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.”
Coral reef officials said similar bleaching events are occurring around the world this year, proving once again why urgent action is needed to save them.
“Climate change is the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, and to coral reefs around the world,” Dr Beeden said.