Coral reefs are experiencing bleaching events so frequently that they no longer have time to recover before the next one strikes, scientists have warned. Global coral cover is now well below normal levels and at risk of irreversible decline, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) said in a report released on Monday. In fact, the frequency of those bleaching events has pretty much doubled.” Bleaching occurs when corals expel the colourful algae living in their tissues.
Without this algae, they become vulnerable to starvation and disease. Bleached coral are not dead, but they need time in cooler water to recover. Rivero warned that another such event is “very likely” this year given elevated temperatures globally.
Coral reefs are critical barometers for global ocean health, supporting more than 25 percent of all marine life despite covering less than 1 percent of the ocean floor. The GCRMN’s warning came as organisers of the annual Pacific Islands Forum announced that at least five leaders of the 18-nation group will skip the group’s summit. The forum has been touted for decades as a symbol of regional unity, and is used to discuss pressing matters facing Pacific states, including climate change and ocean health.
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