Great Barrier Reef suffers worst coral bleaching due to rising temperature

The great barrier reef in Australia has suffered the worst-ever coral bleaching due to the rising ocean temperature. On April 7, scientists talked about the threat to the world’s largest living organism due to climate change.

Professor Terry Hughes from James Cook University talked about the comprehensive survey that shows the rising temperature had caused the third mass bleaching of 2300 km reef system in just 5 years.

Bleaching was first seen on the reef in 1998, which was the hottest year on record. The continuous rise in the temperature led to the increased frequency of coral bleaching that gave less time to coral to recover.

Causes of Coral Bleaching:

Coral bleaching occurs when healthy corals become stressed due to the changes in the ocean temperature. It causes them to expel algae that live in their tissues and drains them of their vibrant colors.

Great Barrier Reef Coral bleaching: Key Highlights

• The severe bleaching has struck all the three regions of Great Barrier Reef- the central, the northern and now the large parts of the southern sectors.

• The damage to the great barrier reef was caused as February recorded the highest monthly sea temperature.

• The Great barrier reef is estimated to be $4 billion a year in the tourism economy of Australia but it is now at the risk of losing its world heritage status.

About the Great Barrier Reef:

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system which is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

The largest Coral reef system is composed of over 2900 individual coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. The structure is built by billions of tiny organisms known as Coral Polyps.

The Reef supports a wide diversity of life. It was selected as the World Heritage Site in 1980. It is also labeled as one of the seven wonders of the world.