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Life in the oceans is not peaceful at all, being also affected by climate change. The world is facing a massive coral bleaching episode due to record ocean temperatures, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned on Monday. For the second time in ten years, coral reefs around the world are being hit by a major bleaching episode linked to rising water temperatures, with parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef at risk of disappearing. Although bleaching can lead to coral death, it is a reversible phenomenon, as affected corals can survive if temperatures drop and other stressors, such as overfishing or pollution, are reduced. "Between February 2023 and April 2024, significant coral bleaching was observed in the northern and southern hemispheres of every major ocean basin," said NOAA's Derek Manzello. This phenomenon has been confirmed in all tropical regions, especially in Florida (southern USA), in the Caribbean, in Brazil and in the eastern tropical Pacific. The consequences of this phenomenon are multiple. Bleaching affects ocean ecosystems, but also human populations, having an impact on their food security and local economies. The current bleaching episode is the fourth recorded by NOAA since 1985. Previous episodes were observed in 1998, 2010 and 2016.
High temperatures affect ocean life
O.D.
English Section / 17 aprilie 2024
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