by Divers have documented evidence of what conservationists say that it is widespread coral bleach on the Ningaloo reef in front of the northwest coast of Western Australia.
Photos show that at several locations along the 260 km riff bleaching, including the Turquoise Bay, Coral Bay, Tantabiddi and Bundegi (Exmouth Golf), show the bleaching of bleach.
The waters before WA have been affected by a longer heat wave for sea heat since September, with sea temperatures being transmitted by more than one average over average over average over a period of five months.
Paul Gamblin, the director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, described the blade event as a “red-alert moment for Ningaloo”.
“The bleaching in Ningaloo is not normal. It requires urgent measures from the government, not as usual. Large coral areas could die in the coming weeks, ”said Gamblin.
“In addition to Ningaloo, we urgently need to know the status of bleaching at what spectacular offshore coral reefs, including Scott Reef and the Rowley Shoals,” added Gamblin.
“We know that many people in Exmouth are worried about what they are experiencing. It is also a strong memory that coastal communities and their shops, including the fishing industry and the world -famous tourism industry from Ningaloo, rely on a healthy sea environment and climate change is an existential threat to them. “
Videographer Andre Rerekura, who documented some of the coral bleaching in Ningaloo, described the event as “really devastating”.
“I know what a flowering, healthy reef should look like. So diving under the surface and meeting an area of bleached corals, as far as the eye can see, is a heartbreaking reality. It is a strong memory of how fragile these ecosystems are. “
Ningaloo was last bleached in 2022. With increased global heating, the bleaching of corals is more common, with fast consecutive events finally killing the reefs, as it takes about a decade before corals recovered without recovering new threats.
Coral bleaching describes a process in which the coral animal wins the algae, which live in its tissues and give it its color and a large part of its nutrients.
Without its algae, the white skeleton of a coral can be seen through its translucent meat, which gives a bleached appearance.
The bleaching of mass corals over large areas, which were first noticed in the Caribbean in the 1980s, is caused by rising sea temperatures.
Some corals also show fluorescent colors under stress when they release a pigment that filters the light. Sunlight also plays a role in triggering bleaching.
Corals can survive the pale if the temperatures are not too extreme or extended. But extreme marine heat waves can kill corals immediately.
Coral bleach can also have sub-mortal effects, including increased susceptibility to diseases and reduced growth and reproductive rates.
Scientists say that the gaps between blade events are too short to enable themselves to recover.
Coral reefs are one of the planet’s ecosystems most strongly from global heating. Riffe support fishing that feed hundreds of millions of people and support the most important tourism sectors.
The largest coral reef system in the world – Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – has suffered seven mass bleed events since 1998, five of which have been in the past decade.
Mia Pepper, the campaign director of the Conservation Council of WA, described the recent blade event as “a completely avoidable tragedy”.
“This coral bleach in Ningaloo takes place weeks after a similar bleaching in the Kimberley and is a direct result of an extreme marine heat wave in front of our northwest coast,” she said.
In January, around 30,000 fish died along the Pilbara coast, which the authorities were due to “extended thermal stress” from the continued heat wave.
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Studies at the beginning of this month showed that such sea heat waves were up to 100 times higher due to climate change. Almost 90% of sea heat waves are already due to the global heating of people, and events are expected to increase with increasing emissions of fossil fuels in frequency, intensity and duration.
“The same extreme marine heat wave also contributed to two intensive tropical cyclones in less than a month in which the Pilbara from WA beat WA -Pilbara,” said Pepper. “The emissions of WA continue to rise and the government of WA approved and continues to expand gas production and flies in view of climate science and warnings.
“It is important that the next WA government runs out the fossil fuels and passes laws to limit climate pollution – to lead the life and a living of Western Australians and future generations.”
