The topic of this article is a study by Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg out of the University of Queensland which warns about the mass coral bleaching that he believes will take place over the next 1-2 years. He claims that due to record-breaking marine heatwaves felt in 2023, it will lead to devastating coral bleaching which will then contribute to mass marine mortality. These ecosystems have been feeling extreme pressure for a very extended period, and the stress conditions these ecosystems are under are simply not sustainable. Roughly 25% of marine biodiversity relies on coral reefs, so this could be detrimental to marine ecosystems. He talks about how climate change mitigation is critical if we want to prevent the mass death of corals and save these ecosystems.
This is related to environmental science because the study is looking at unprecedented ocean temperature data, sustained heat stress conditions that started earlier, and pressure on coral reefs globally. This amount of stress put on such a vital part of the marine environment has never before been seen. Without emphasizing saving the coral reefs very quickly, marine biodiversity will decrease incredibly fast, and many more marine species will become endangered very quickly.
Ralls, E. (2023, December 8). Devastating coral bleaching is expected around the world within the next year. Earth.com. https://www.earth.com/news/devastating-coral-bleaching-is-expected-around-the-world-within-the-next-year/
This is so sad to hear that the coral reefs are on a decline. I really hope that we can reverse this bleaching because coral reefs hold so much biodiversity which is so important for the health of the ocean. Is there anything we can do right now to reverse this 1-2 year deadline?