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From mass bleaching events to marine heatwaves, today's newsletter focuses on the lifeblood of our planet – our oceans.
The mass bleaching of coral reefs around the world since February 2023 is now the most extensive on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told Reuters in an exclusive story this week.
A staggering 77% of the world's coral reef areas – from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Indian oceans – have so far been subjected to bleaching-level heat stress, according to satellite data, as climate change fuels record and near-record ocean temperatures across the world.
Triggered by heat stress in warm oceans, coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the colorful algae living in their tissues.
Without these helpful algae, the corals become pale and are vulnerable to starvation and disease. A bleached coral is not dead, but ocean temperatures need to cool off for any hope of recovery.
This comes as a joint study by Australia's national science agency (CISRO) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that heat waves deep in oceans may be "significantly under-reported", highlighting an area of marine warming that has been largely overlooked.
Marine heatwaves are prolonged temperature events that can cause severe damage to marine habitats, such as impacts to coral reefs and species displacement, the study said.
Keep scrolling for more water-watch Reuters stories from around the world.
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