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Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef is suffering one of the most severe coral bleaching events on record, leaving scientists fearful for its survival as the impact of climate change worsens.
Coral Bleaching
Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to loss of symbiotic algae and photosynthetic pigments.
This loss of pigment can be caused by various stressors, such as changes in temperature, light, or nutrients.
Coral bleaching occurs when water temperatures rise more than one degree Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit)
As the world’s oceans continue to warm, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and severe
Coral Bleaching
In a bid to survive, the coral expels microscopic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which it needs to live.
If high temperatures persist, the coral eventually evicts most of the zooxanthellae, turns white, and dies.
As the planet continues to warm, bleaching is forecast to reduce global coral cover by 95% if temperatures warm by about two degrees
Great Barrier Reef
Often dubbed the world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300-kilometre long expanse housing a stunning array of biodiversity, including more than 600 types of coral and 1,625 fish species.
This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps.
It is vital to the health of the ocean and Australia’s tourism industry, netting billions of dollars every year.
The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, separated from the coast by a channel 160 kilometres wide in places and over 61 metres deep
It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981
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