Tuesday April 16, 2024
Sky News —
Coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching as a result of warming oceans and human-caused climate change, top scientists have said.
From February 2023 until now, coral reef bleaching has been confirmed across at least 53 countries, territories or local economies triggering the fourth global bleaching event, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and International Coral Reef Initiative said.
Bleaching occurs when stressed coral expels the algae that give them their colour when eaten.
It was described by ecologist David Obura, director of Coastal Oceans Research and Development, as like a “fever in humans” and if it occurs long enough can cause coral to die.
The latest mass bleaching event has been caused by a sustained heating of the world’s oceans due to the effects of both climate change and an El Nino climate pattern.