The bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has affected, since 1998, 98% of the world’s largest reef, says a study published on Thursday (4).
–>
According to the article published in the journal Current Biology, only 2% of this huge coral barrier has been freed from the bleaching phenomenon since the first major bleaching episode in 1998, the warmest year so far. After that, the heat record was broken several times.
The frequency, intensity and magnitude of marine heat waves that cause coral bleaching have continued to increase, says lead author of the study, Terry Hugues, of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Center of Excellence at James Cook University.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, the Great Barrier suffered three major episodes of lightening during the heat waves of 2016, 2017 and 2020.
Bleaching is a phenomenon of coral weakening produced by the increase in water temperature, which expels the algae and nutrients that the coral needs, causing its discoloration.
The coral is also threatened by a predator, a starfish known as the crown of thorns, which proliferates thanks to pollution and the spillage of agricultural tailings, especially those containing nitrogen.
The results published on Thursday also show that corals that have suffered from hot flashes are less susceptible to heat stress, but Sean Connolly of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and co-author of the study warns that increased frequency and intensity of bleaching could reduce the resilience of the reef.
The study is presented as the UN Climate Conference (COP26) takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, and Australia, one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas, has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, rejecting the date most ambitious of 2030.
See too
+ How podcasts can help Brazilians’ financial education
+ Mystery: woman discovers that she is not the biological mother of her own children
+ Lemon-squeezing trick becomes a craze on social media
+ Chef playmate creates aphrodisiac recipe for Orgasm Day
+ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter wins motorhome version
+ Anorexia, an eating disorder that can lead to death
+ US agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ Yasmin Brunet breaks the silence
+ Shark is captured in MA with the remains of youngsters missing in the stomach
+ See how much it costs to eat at the MasterChef judges’ restaurants
+ Auction of cars and motorcycles from Kombi to Nissan Frontier 0km
#Bleaching #reaches #Great #Barrier #Reef #study #ISTOÉ #DINHEIRO