Scientists report widespread coral reef bleaching across the globe, according to Climate News

Scientists are sounding the alarm as coral reefs around the world face a dire threat from intense and prolonged heat stress. The fourth global bleaching event in the last three decades has left many of the world’s reefs ghostly white, signaling a major crisis for marine ecosystems.

According to the US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, at least 54 countries and territories have experienced mass bleaching along their reefs since February 2023. Climate change is driving up ocean temperatures, causing corals to expel the colorful algae that live in their tissues and provide essential nutrients for survival.

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, has been severely impacted, along with reefs in the South Pacific, the Red Sea, and the Gulf. Scientists warn that many of the world’s reefs may not recover from the current heat stress, with recurring bleaching events disrupting earlier predictions about the future of coral reefs.

“We have crossed the tipping point for coral reefs,” said ecologist David Obura. “They’re going into a decline that we cannot stop unless we really stop carbon dioxide emissions driving climate change.”

The global bleaching event underscores the urgent need for action to address climate change and protect these vital ecosystems. Without immediate and significant efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the world’s coral reefs face a bleak future, with potentially devastating consequences for marine biodiversity and coastal communities.