Due to global warming, coral reefs are fading and dying

Because of global warming, the problem of discoloration and extinction of corals in the World Ocean has become global. This follows from the report of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an American scientific organization that monitors, among other things, the state of coral reefs.

As indicated in the report, mass bleaching of reefs in 2023 was observed in the waters of at least 54 countries of the world, in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. This phenomenon occurs when the constant water temperature becomes too high. Due to heat stress, corals reject the colored algae living on them, and without these algae they cannot survive normally.

According to NOAA coordinator Derek Manzello, 54% of all coral reefs in the world are now discolored.

This is the fourth global reef bleaching in recorded history. The previous three took place in 1998, 2010 and 2014-2017. All of them were connected with the climatic phenomenon of El Niño, which leads, among other things, to a sharp warming of sea waters. Last year, the ocean surface temperature exceeded all records recorded since 1979. Therefore, scientists are not sure whether the ecosystem will be able to cope with heat stress this time.