December 01, 2021
A university in Australia conducted a study looking into the multiple catastrophes that have hit and continue to affect the Great Barrier Reef and came to a conclusion that only 2% of the reefs have escaped bleaching since 1998, which was recorded as the world’s hottest year. If global warming is kept at or under 1.5˚C, which was the focus of the COP26 United Nations Climate Conference, the reef will survive despite being affected by global warming.
When the corals overheat, they lose their colour and struggle to survive. The study shows that the corals have now adapted to have a higher heat threshold. But the gap between bleaching events has shrunk, which is not giving the reefs enough time to recover.
Did You Know?
Hundreds of millions of people’s livelihoods are dependent on the survival of coral reefs.
