Great Barrier Reef at Risk of 'Collapse', Scientists Warn
Scientists said record El Nino conditions could trigger large-scale bleaching and ecosystem collapse after coral cover fell sharply in 2024-2025.
- On Tuesday, scientists warned that Australia's 2,300-kilometre Great Barrier Reef faces extreme risk of widespread bleaching and "ecosystem collapse" linked to this year's record-breaking El Niño.
- A new University of Sydney study documented devastating coral bleaching on the southern reef in early 2024, revealing 66 percent of colonies were bleached by February and 80 percent by April.
- By July, 44 percent of bleached colonies had died, with some Acropora experiencing 95 percent mortality, as Dr. Shawna Foo, a Sydney Horizon Fellow, noted the impacts are "devastating."
- Despite narrowly avoiding "endangered" status this month, Professor Ana Vila Concejo of the School of Geosciences warned that immediate management interventions are required to safeguard these ecosystems.
- Morgan Pratchett, a marine conservation ecologist at James Cook University, predicted a high likelihood of large-scale mass bleaching, warning that the next major disturbance could lead to localized species extinctions and widespread ecosystem collapse.
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23 Articles
It is the largest living entity in the world and houses a unique animal and plant world: the Great Barrier Reef. However, in view of the extreme El Niños, marine biologists fear massive coral bleaching and a devastating mass death.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is at very high risk of extreme and widespread bleaching and ecosystem collapse linked to this year's El Nino weather phenomenon, top scientists warned on Tuesday.
Because of El Niño, Scientists Fear a "Collapse" of the Ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef of Coral
The climate phenomenon, which increases the effect of ocean warming, could lead to the extinction of species located in the coral reef. Scientists warn about the environmental consequences of this risk.
The water surface warms up near the equator, affecting wind, air pressure and rainfall worldwide.
Scientists are warning this Tuesday about the consequences of repeated bleaching episodes in recent years, reinforced by global warming.
The Great Barrier Reef, located in Australia, is at risk of extreme bleaching and "a collapse of its ecosystem" as a result of the return of the climate phenomenon El Niño, warned scientists on Tuesday.
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