Great Barrier Reef Sees Warmest Waters in 400 Years

August 12, 2024

A new study has found that water temperatures in and around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are now the highest they’ve been in 400 years. This puts the reef at serious risk. This research offers a long-term view of the damage caused by climate change, unlike earlier studies that looked at shorter periods.

What is Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs are important marine environments made up of corals, which are small animals that attach to the ocean floor and live in groups. Each coral animal is called a polyp, and many polyps together make up a coral colony. Corals are either hard or soft, with hard corals being the main builders of reefs. They create complex structures over thousands of years. The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches 2,400 kilometers along the coast of Queensland, is home to many different species.

What is the Importance of Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs are crucial for marine life because they provide a habitat for thousands of species. The Great Barrier Reef alone has over 400 types of coral and many different kinds of fish and shellfish. Coral reefs are also economically valuable, generating about $375 billion each year. They offer food, income, and protection from storms to more than 500 million people worldwide. They help shield coastlines by absorbing up to 97% of the energy from waves.

Study Findings

Researchers studied coral cores to look at past ocean temperatures going back to 1618. They found that temperatures have been stable until human activities started changing things around 1900. From 1960 to 2024, the temperature has been rising by 0.12 degrees Celsius every decade. Since 2016, the reef has experienced five major coral bleaching events during some of the hottest summers in four centuries. The latest temperature data shows record-high water temperatures, showing how urgent the situation is.

Facts About Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system, stretching about 2,300 kilometers along Australia’s northeast coast.
It includes over 2,900 reefs and 900 islands.
The reef is home to 1,500 fish species and 400 coral species and can be seen from space.
It supports endangered species like the dugong and green sea turtle.
The reef faces threats from climate change, coral bleaching, and pollution.
It earns billions from tourism each year, helping local economies.
Conservation efforts are ongoing to protect it.

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