The effect is akin to a forest after a devastating fire. Coral bleaching has been documented for decades, these events have become more frequent, widespread, and destructive. The quickest shipping routes to Asia go right near the Reef, which is why coal companies have drafted plans to dredge nearby areas. The research, published in Science today, reveals a protective mechanism by which reefs have weathered heatwaves for thousands of years. But sadly, this incredible reef is at risk of completely dying due to us humans. An Economic Recovery That Puts People & Planet First, Fighting against deforestation and illegal logging, Fighting against threats to the Great Barrier Reef, Replacing Liddell with Renewables Cheaper and Less Polluting than Gas, The real life monsters behind the Amazon’s deforestation, Bushfire Royal Commission missed opportunity to make polluters pay for climate damage like the 2019-20 bushfires, In unprecedented times budget remains a gift card to fossil fuel industry, only this time it’s gas. That is the stark conclusion of a new study led by scientists at James Cook University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Great Barrier Reef's dying coral and nine other signs climate is impacting Earth's most beautiful natural landmarks. During the middle of March, USA Today reported that a study published in the peer review journal Nature that coral reef growth stood to be severely harmed due to ocean acidification resulting from human-induced climate change. The research, published in Science today, reveals a protective mechanism by which reefs have weathered heatwaves for thousands of years. “The two degree warming limit is not enough to protect corals,” Eakin said. “We have not seen temperatures and thermal stress of this magnitude historically.”. “It’s not just that we’re going to see more [bleaching] events,” lead study author Tracy Ainsworth told Gizmodo. Make your voice heard. World's biggest coral ecosystem suffers its most severe bleaching in recorded history due to warming sea temperatures With wind gusts of up to 285 km per hour, Cyclone Yasi tore through the reef in 2011 and damaged about 13% of the reef. Experts say that more regulations must be implemented in addition to voluntary and incentive-based approaches. This is classic fake news. The results were dramatic. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide and it is estimated that they have soaked up over 25% of the excess CO, The state of the reef caused the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to debate listing the site as “in danger.” In response to this, the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan was produced by the. Unfortunately, for much of the Great Barrier Reef, this protective mechanism may not last long. Just recently, the Queensland Labor Party approved Adani’s Carmichael megamine – set to be the largest in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most celebrated ecosystems on Earth—and it’s dying. But that protection is now being eroded by climate change, leaving corals more susceptible to the ravages of bleaching. The plan is inadequate, though, as there are not many concrete actions listed but rather only broad guidelines and goals. As the world fixates on Trump and North Korea, why is this not the biggest news story in the world today? A stingray slowly drifts by, taking its leisurely time. No such tolerance was seen in corals that experienced single or repetitive bleaching. Roughly 30 percent of the corals on the Great Barrier Reef died after the 2016 bleaching, which was the worst of five separate bleaching events since 1998. Great Barrier Reef Still not Dying Whatever Washington Post Says. Together we are unstoppable. The mine will have a footprint ten times larger than the city of Sydney and consume an olympic swimming pool of water every two hours. Approximately 80% of Queensland coastline is used for agriculture, causing pesticides, fertilisers and animal waste to enter the ocean and degrade the water quality. The plan includes emission-reduction goals, government commitments to controlling pollution and limiting the effects of nearby dredging. “We really have to be looking at holding temperatures to a 1.5 degree increase, or less.”, If we don’t, he added, the consequences are clear. Fish of every imaginable colour race between the corals as the sun’s rays dance through the ocean’s surface. “Our hope is that studies like ours will put the rubber on the road for policy makers,” Heron said, adding that the Paris climate accord was an important first step, but that we need to ratchet up the ambition even further. While this has changed from the original plan of dumping the dredge into the ocean, coastal ecosystems will now be severely damaged. As we pump more and more greenhouse gases into the sky, the oceans too have become poisoned. Coal is considered a dying industry and it also damages the Great Barrier Reef’s health. Maddie Stone is a freelancer based in Philadelphia. We’ll be dead before there are any problems anyway!”. The current bleaching is due to abnormally high ocean temperatures, partly influenced by the El Nino weather system, and is the worst instance we’ve ever seen on the reef. If the water stays too hot for too long, the algae won’t return, and the coral will starve. Some are indifferent, some are ignorant, some just have trouble of their own to figure out, and can’t spare time thinking about something seemingly not concerning them and out of their reach. These physiological differences were paralleled by genetic changes, with corals under the single and repetitive bleaching scenarios showing gene expression profiles consistent with heat stress. The state of the reef caused the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to debate listing the site as “in danger.” In response to this, the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan was produced by the Australian Government Department of the Environment. The Great Barrier Reef, which extends for over 2,300 kilometers (1429 miles) along the northeastern coast of Australia, is home to over 9,000 known species.There are likely many more—new discoveries are frequently being made, including a new species of branching coral discovered in 2017. “They’re going to be more frequent and more severe.”, And that is going to make it very hard for the reef to survive. This puts the turtles and clown fish we love at risk. But the Australian government doesn't want that fact out there because it might hurt tourism. Later, I did my research and found out that the news was hyped. It is estimated that up to 50% of the currently bleached coral will die. Fragile locations like the Great Barrier Reef feel the effects the most and even a slight increase in acidity can lead to death for areas of the reef. Losing this algae puts stress on the coral and causes it to turn completely white. 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