<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/11/great-barrier-reef-severe-coral-bleaching-impact>
"Concern that the Great Barrier Reef may be suffering the most severe mass
coral bleaching event on record has escalated after a conservation group
released footage showing damage up to 18 metres below the surface.
Dr Selina Ward, a marine biologist and former academic director of the
University of Queensland’s Heron Island Research Station, said it was the worst
bleaching she had seen in 30 years working on the reef, and that some coral was
starting to die.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority last week said aerial surveys of
more than 1,000 individual reefs revealed more than half were rated as having
high or very high levels of bleaching, and a smaller number in the south – less
than 10% of the total – had extreme bleaching. Only about a quarter were
relatively unaffected.
It confirmed the 2,300-kilometre reef system was experiencing its fifth mass
bleaching event in eight years. The authority said sea surface temperatures had
been between 0.5C and 1.5C hotter than expected for this time of year."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
