There is no respite for the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral system in the world that stretches for 2,300 kilometers off the northeastern coast of Australia. This protected area, which has already suffered several episodes of massive coral bleaching in the last decade, is currently suffering the worst of these events, derived from warming due to the climate crisis.
This is stated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Gbrmpa, in English) in its Reef Snapshot 2023-24 report, in which it notes that “the cumulative effects on the reef this summer have been greater than those of previous summers.”
In addition to global warming, the great barrier was also damaged by two cyclones and several floods, as well as an outbreak of the crown-of-thorns plague, a starfish that eats coral, according to the report, after the aerial studies of more than a thousand reefs in the Park.
“Coral bleaching was observed in 73% of the reefs studied within the Marine Park and in 6% in the Torres Strait,” details the Gbrmpa.
The snapshot shows that the highest levels of coral bleaching were found in the southern region and parts of the central and northern regions of the country: “Some areas were exposed to record levels of heat stress. Parts of the central and northern regions also experienced the highest levels of coral bleaching.”
This ecosystem, which with its 344,400 square kilometers occupies an area slightly smaller than that of Germany and recognized as a World Heritage Site since 1981, has suffered massive coral bleaching in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2024. A deterioration that scientists attribute to climate change.
The Great Barrier Reef is just one of many coral reef systems in 53 countries that have experienced widespread coral bleaching over the past 12 months, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). in English).
The deterioration of these ecosystems has led the organization to confirm a fourth global episode of bleaching after recording this phenomenon in recent months in the coral systems of 53 nations, including the Australian Great Barrier Reef.
“Climate change is the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs around the world,” recalled the Gbrmpa’s chief scientist, Roger Beeden, in his organization’s statement.
According to NOAA, bleaching is triggered by changes in water temperature that cause corals to expel the colorful algae (zooxanthallae) that live in their tissues. But corals cannot survive without algae, since they provide them with essential nutrients.
