Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Ocean heat is driving a global coral bleaching event, and it could be
the worst on record
Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems found in shallow, warm
waters, typically in tropical and subtropical regions, such as the Great
Barrier Reef in Australia, the Belize Barrier Reef in Central America, and the
Red Sea Coral Reef. Coral reefs not only attract tourists and divers but also provide
habitat, shelter, and food to countless marine species. It also acts as a natural
barrier from the impacts of waves, storms, and sea level rise. When corals are
exposed to stress from marine heat or pollution, they spit algae from their
tissue and lose energy and colors, called coral bleaching. If ocean
temperatures remain too warm, corals will die and threaten the lives and ecosystems
around them. Since global sea surface temperatures marked the highest record in
February and March due to global warming and El Niño, warmer-than-average sea
surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, coral reefs around the world are bleaching
at an unprecedented scale. Although the opposite phenomenon of El Niño, La
Niña, is expected to arrive soon this year, global warming hasn’t shown any
sign of slowdown. Experts warn that coral reefs are facing existential danger
now.
Read the article and learn about what problems coral reefs are facing.
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