El Nino Could Endanger Australia's Great Barrier Reef

via Travel Triangle 

Australia's Great Barrier Reef could face deterioration if warming ocean temperatures trigger another mass coral bleaching event later this year, as warned by the country's top marine science organization on Wednesday. Certain sections of the reef had displayed promising signs of recovery until a bleaching event in 2022 turned large portions of the vibrant coral a sickly, pale white.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science indicated that while the reef's condition had stabilized during a "relatively mild" summer in 2023, it remains in a precarious state. David Wachenfeld, the research director of the institute, stated that the reef faces an "increased risk with climate change driving more frequent and severe bleaching events."

Australia's weather bureau has forecasted a "likely" development of the El Nino weather pattern over the country in the upcoming weeks. This pattern would bring warmer ocean temperatures to the Pacific, rekindling the threat of coral bleaching. Globally, average ocean temperatures have consistently exceeded seasonal heat records since April.

Wachenfeld highlighted that the reef is "only one large-scale disturbance away from a rapid reversal of recent recovery." Earlier this year, Australia received a temporary respite when a team of United Nations experts excluded the fading wonder from a list of heritage sites considered "in danger." The Great Barrier Reef is a premier tourist attraction in Australia, and its inclusion on the in-danger list could significantly diminish its appeal to international visitors.

UNESCO, the world heritage body, contemplated listing the reef after a critical report in 2021, but refrained following strong lobbying from Australia's previous conservative government. Instead, UNESCO established a monitoring mission within Australia to assess pollution, fishing, climate change, and coral bleaching impacts. The organization initially raised concerns about the reef's decline in 2010.

Marine heatwaves have triggered mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. Researcher Mike Emslie emphasized that even a minor bleaching event can "put the brakes" on the reef's recovery, indicating that the reef remains susceptible to decline from more frequent disturbances.

Source: Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)