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Great Barrier Reef hit by third mass bleaching event in five years

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cmtoo 29-Mar-20, 03:08	Great Barrier Reef hit by third mass bleaching event in five years The third mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in five years is under way, with central and southern regions more badly affected than in the 2016 and 2017 events. Key tourist sites have been spared. Researchers surveyed more than 845 reefs from the Torres Strait southwards by air as of Wednesday with about 200 more to come in the southern end of the reef region by Friday. Terry Hughes, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies who has helped lead the survey, said the scientists had seen enough to declare the bleaching was a major one. Eight flights have been made so far over nine days with three more to come on Thursday and Friday. "It's pretty obvious now with three flights to go that this event is certainly not a minor one," Professor Hughes told the Herald and The Age. "It certainly makes it three big events in five years." While the full severity of the bleaching will take some time to determine, the most popular visiting areas of the reef may have been spared. "There's good news for the region's tourist folk," Professor Hughes said, with the Whitsundays "less bleached than reefs further offshore" and the Cairns-Port Douglas region also faring relatively well. Corals rely on algae known as zooxanthellae to provide the bulk of their energy and much of their vibrant colour. When exposed to sustained abnormal heat - measured in so-called degree-heating days - corals begin to expel the algae, leading to mass bleaching. How many of the corals recover from the bleaching or just die will take time to play out, and hinge on whether water temperatures return to average temperatures. "If the bleaching is mild, they will regain their colour and regain their vitality," Professor Hughes said. "The key thing with the Great Barrier Reef this year is that temperature anomalies across the reef have been spatially consistent - that is to say it’s just hot everywhere," Professor Heron said. "In previous bleaching events we have seen a focal area of heat stress," he added. "This year we have seen heat stress from the Torres Strait down to the Capricorn Bunkers. This is global warming realised." From The Age

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cmtoo
29-Mar-20, 03:08

Great Barrier Reef hit by third mass bleaching event in five years

The third mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in five years is under way, with central and southern regions more badly affected than in the 2016 and 2017 events. Key tourist sites have been spared.

Researchers surveyed more than 845 reefs from the Torres Strait southwards by air as of Wednesday with about 200 more to come in the southern end of the reef region by Friday.

Terry Hughes, the director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies who has helped lead the survey, said the scientists had seen enough to declare the bleaching was a major one.

Eight flights have been made so far over nine days with three more to come on Thursday and Friday.

"It's pretty obvious now with three flights to go that this event is certainly not a minor one," Professor Hughes told the Herald and The Age. "It certainly makes it three big events in five years."

While the full severity of the bleaching will take some time to determine, the most popular visiting areas of the reef may have been spared.

"There's good news for the region's tourist folk," Professor Hughes said, with the Whitsundays "less bleached than reefs further offshore" and the Cairns-Port Douglas region also faring relatively well.

Corals rely on algae known as zooxanthellae to provide the bulk of their energy and much of their vibrant colour. When exposed to sustained abnormal heat - measured in so-called degree-heating days - corals begin to expel the algae, leading to mass bleaching.

How many of the corals recover from the bleaching or just die will take time to play out, and hinge on whether water temperatures return to average temperatures.

"If the bleaching is mild, they will regain their colour and regain their vitality," Professor Hughes said.

"The key thing with the Great Barrier Reef this year is that temperature anomalies across the reef have been spatially consistent - that is to say it’s just hot everywhere," Professor Heron said.

"In previous bleaching events we have seen a focal area of heat stress," he added. "This year we have seen heat stress from the Torres Strait down to the Capricorn Bunkers. This is global warming realised."

From The Age

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