Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef is more widespread than ever before after record high temperatures in February.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most widespread coral bleaching on record, scientists said on Tuesday in a dire warning about the threat posed by climate change to the world's largest living organism.
For the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia, the marine heat wave resulted in severe bleaching events.Bleaching occurs when healthy corals become stressed by changes in ocean temperatures, causing them to expel algae living in their tissues which drains them of their vibrant colours.
"For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef – the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors."'We’re just on the knife’s edge': Scientists say Great Barrier Reef mass bleaching could be imminent The reef is worth an estimated $4 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy, but is at risk of losing its coveted world heritage status because warmer oceans brought about by climate change have damaged its health.Back-to-back bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 prompted the government agency overseeing the reef to downgrade its long-term outlook to"very poor".
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