Australia: The Great Barrier Reef could be hit by the 4th largest flood in 7 years

At the same timeAustralia Entering its hottest period, experts are not optimistic about any of its wonders. Estimated by the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corals From Great Barrier Reef Will be hit by a new episode of Bleaching by the end of January. Only the 1,300-kilometer stretch will be most affected.

But it did not stop. Areas north of Cairns in Queensland are forecast to be at alert level 2 in mid-February, with widespread whitewash and significant coral deaths.

This is the 4th episode of Bleaching Australian Corals in 2016, 2017 and 2020 (already 1998 and 2002). The 2016 episode alone would have destroyed 30% of the coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.

As a reminder, in July 2021, Australia has avoided adding UNESCO’s Great Barrier Reef to its list of endangered World Heritage Sites., Despite the concern of the scientific community about the degradation of this unique ecosystem.

What is Coral White?

“The first reason Coral bleaching, Which is the pressure of the coral, CRIOBE researcher and Tara Pacific mission’s science director Serge Plains explains. This may be due to the warming of the water, but not only that. It can also be caused by human activities. This stress does not recognize the algae that coexist with the coral and expel it. By doing this it loses its color because only the white limestone structure remains. All the energy supplied by the microscopic alga disappears and inhibits its growth. The coral suffers from starvation, and if the condition persists for more than 15-20 days, it will eventually die. But if the water temperature drops, or the human activity that caused his stress decreases, he will be able to recapture this algae and recover. “

What is the future for coral reefs?

Asked by DefenderAccording to Peter Mummy, a professor at the University of Queensland, the rock, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981, is at a critical juncture in its recovery. “Everyone is a little depressed in anticipation of another bleaching event”, He expressed optimism. According to him, the severity of the bleaching event can be underestimated, NOAA predictions “I tend to be very conservative”.

Scientists therefore anticipate a hurricane or other cooling event that could offset the risk of mass whitewashing caused by rising temperatures.

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