Australia Records Worst Coral Bleaching Across Western, Great Barrier Reefs

Western Australia has experienced the most widespread and severe coral bleaching on record due to the longest and most intense marine heatwave ever recorded in the region, spanning 1,500 kilometers of reef. The Australian Institute of Marine Science and other experts report that reefs previously resilient to bleaching, such as the Rowley Shoals, north Kimberley, and the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, have been severely affected, with mortality rates reaching as high as 90% in some areas. This bleaching is caused by corals expelling their symbiotic algae during prolonged elevated sea temperatures, which peaked last summer with the warmest sea surface temperatures on record since 1900. Scientists warn that the increasing frequency and severity of these heat events, driven by climate change, leave little time for coral recovery, which typically takes 10 to 15 years. In addition to Western Australia, the Great Barrier Reef has also suffered significant coral cover declines due to heat stress, predator outbreaks, and cyclones. Experts emphasize that reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving water quality, and controlling overfishing are vital to helping coral reefs survive in the face of climate change.