Terry Hughes and colleagues write in The Conversation (16.3.17) that the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing additional bleaching events. The authors argue that, without greater action on climate change and water quality, the Reef’s World Heritage status could soon be listed as “in danger”.
‘The Great Barrier Reef has already been badly damaged by global warming during three extreme heatwaves, in 1998, 2002 and 2016. A new bleaching event is under way now.
‘As shown in a study published in Nature today, climate change is not some distant future threat. It has already degraded large tracts of the Great Barrier Reef over the past two decades.
‘The extreme marine heatwave in 2016 killed two-thirds of the corals along a 700km stretch of the northern Great Barrier Reef, from Port Douglas to Papua New Guinea. It was a game-changer for the reef and for how we manage it.
‘Our study shows that we cannot climate-proof coral reefs by improving water quality or reducing fishing pressure. Reefs in clear water were damaged as much as muddy ones, and the hot water didn’t stop at the boundaries of no-fishing zones. There is nowhere to hide from global warming.’
- Year-on-year bleaching threatens Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage status »
- Experts call for Australia to take lead on saving Great Barrier Reef »
- Coral bleaching: Extreme heat pushes parts of the Great Barrier Reef beyond recovery »
- Stopping global warming is only way to save Great Barrier Reef, scientists warn »
- Great Barrier Reef tourism headed for tough times as coral bleaching worsens »
- Coral crisis: the Great Barrier Reef needs us to speak up »
- Marine heatwaves threatening oyster industry and affecting Great Barrier Reef, scientists warn »
- 5 major heatwaves in 30 years have turned the Great Barrier Reef into a bleached checkerboard »
- Australia gains reprieve on threat to Great Barrier Reef World Heritage status
- Out of danger because the UN said so? Hardly – the Barrier Reef is still in hot water