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Three-year heatwave bleached half the planet's coral reefs: study
Over half of the world's coral reefs experienced moderate or worse bleaching and 15% suffered significant mortality during the 2014-2017 event, according to an international scientific analysis.
Published on Tuesday, a study shows that more than half of the world's coral reefs bleached during the 2014–2017 Third Global Bleaching Event.
When seas overheated, corals ejected algae that provide their colour and food, leaving them vulnerable if temperatures remain high, while the study linked ocean warming to rising bleaching severity and mortality.
The 2014–2017 episode stretched three years, becoming the first global bleaching event to last beyond one year; an international team of scientists analysed more than 15,000 surveys combined with satellite-based heat-stress measurements and models.
Connolly said, 'And yet, reefs are currently experiencing an even more severe Fourth Event, which started in early 2023,' while the Pacific coastline of Panama experienced dramatically worse heat stress and coral mortality.
Rising temperatures and prior warnings position reefs at acute long-term risk, as Copernicus said last month global averages exceeded 1.5C, and a major scientific report last year warned reefs may have reached a 'tipping point'.