Mass Bleaching Event Took Place In The Great Barrier Reef
The condition of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral colonies has been taking good shape with the ocean cleaning and conservation projects where Corals were the main priority. However, Australian officials have recently confirmed a mass bleaching event on the reef that is causing new concerns.
This is the fourth time in the last six years that this mass bleaching event took place in the reef. The experts are saying that it mainly happens due to the warm seawater. So is the bleaching phenomenon is offering a sign of the harsh side of Global warming? Scientists are still researching the matter.
Previously, only two events of mass bleaching ever happened and were recorded before 2016. The rarity of the event made it clear that it does not happen often but the results of the last six years are truly making the scientists find out the real issue here.
According to them, the global event of climate change is putting an ill effect on the world’s largest coral reef along with the marine ecosystem revolving around it.
Since it mainly occurs due to the warm seawater, the report shows that mass bleaching has taken place in the same years when the La Niña weather phenomenon happened. In the case of Australia, La Niña brings cooler temperatures. So, the experts are assuming that the next event might take place by the next El Niño.
The declaration of the bleaching event was announced by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority which conducted many aerial and underwater surveys. The survey report came out to be shocking as it showed the temperature of the reef area has been 4C above the average in March.
With a humongous size of over 2,300km or 1,400 miles, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest biodiverse ecosystems in the world.
Bleaching is a mass event that makes the corals expel the algae living on them under stress. The algae offer them life and color and expelling them makes the coral completely bleached and white. They cannot get back to their real form unless the situation allows it.
The Australian Reef Authority said, “Weather patterns over the next couple of weeks continue to remain critical in determining the overall extent and severity of coral bleaching across the marine park.” It has also addressed this event as “truly heartbreaking”.
It further stated, “These repeated bleaching events have hit the tourism industry hard and are a blow to everyone who loves this incredible natural wonder, which is home to a vast array of sea creatures.”
The first mass bleaching event occurred in 1998. It happened again in the following years of 2002, 2016, 2017, and 2020.
I am Jessica Gonzalez and i have over 16 years experience in the financial services industry giving me a vast understanding of how news affects the financial markets. She is an active day trader spending the majority of my time analyzing earnings reports and watching commodities and derivatives. I have a Masters Degree in Economics from Westminster University with previous roles counting Investment Banking.
