Great Barrier Reef in Australian is suffering from the unhealthy bleaching process the second year in a row. The unprecedented mass coral bleaching became the subject of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s study.
The Great Barrier Reef is the huge biosystem where many species struggle to fully recover, year by year. In 2016, the research team registered the dangerous speed of the bleaching corals. According to the actual data, the 2,300-kilometer-long reef bleaches because of warming sea temperatures during March-April period.
The government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority realised an aerial survey of the eastern coast, while the 2016 bleaching was the most aggressive in the northern areas. On Thursday Authority informed:
“Regrettably, the temperatures have been high on the Great Barrier Reef this summer as well and unfortunately (we) are here to confirm… a mass coral bleaching event for the second consecutive year,”
director David Wachenfeld said. His colleagues stress that the Barrier Reef is under non-stop pressure from farming run-off, normal development and reproductive health of the sea inhabitants. The climate change increases the bleaching speed and harms the biodiversity of Australian waters.
The Australian researchers are planning to conduct more detailed surveys in April-May to determine the extent and severity of the bleaching.
