Australia
Great Barrier Reef records worst coral bleaching ever recorded
Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, here in 2017
© Nature Picture Library / Imago Images
The famous coral reef Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s coast is suffering from water temperatures that are too warm. This puts the corals in mortal danger. But there is hope.
According to the agency, aerial photographs show that about 730 of the more than 1,000 reefs are affected by coral bleaching. It is the fifth massive coral bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef in eight years.
More than 600 coral and over 1,600 fish species live in the Great Barrier Reef
When the water temperature rises too much, the phenomenon of coral bleaching occurs. The corals then reject the algae that live within them, which is their primary source of food. As a result, the corals lose their color and are in mortal danger. However, there is hope for recovery if temperatures fall and other factors such as overfishing and pollution are reduced.
The Great Barrier Reef is home to, among other things, more than 600 species of coral and over 1,600 species of fish. It has been suffering from repeated coral bleaching for decades.