coral bleaching

Great Barrier Reef in Danger of Mass Coral Bleaching Events Every Two Years

Great Barrier Reef in Danger of Mass Coral Bleaching Events Every Two Years

The Great Barrier Reef—Australia’s remarkable but imperiled natural wonder—is under risk of repeat coral bleaching events unless greenhouse gas emissions are slashed, Australia’s Climate Council warned Thursday. The new report, Lethal Consequences: Climate Change Impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, determined that by 2034, the extreme ocean temperatures that led to the mass bleaching events […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    Australia’s $379M Plan to Save Great Barrier Reef Raises Skepticism

    Australia’s $379M Plan to Save Great Barrier Reef Raises Skepticism

    The Australian government announced Sunday its largest investment in the Great Barrier Reef to date. More than $500 million Australian dollars (US $379 million) will go towards helping the highly vulnerable site that’s under threat from climate change. However, some have criticized the move as a “band-aid plan” as the fossil fuel-friendly government promotes the […]

    Scientists Battle Mysterious Pathogen Destroying Coral Reefs Off Florida Coast

    Scientists Battle Mysterious Pathogen Destroying Coral Reefs Off Florida Coast

    By Robynne Boyd Off the coast of Broward County in southeast Florida, a 330-year-old coral colony has withered in the water thanks to a mysterious pathogen. At the height of its health, this slow-growing variety of coral, known as mountainous star, looked like a car-size brown mushroom cap scored by ridges and valleys and colored […]

    2017 Was the Hottest Year on Record for Oceans

    2017 Was the Hottest Year on Record for Oceans

    Last year wasn’t just one of the hottest years on Earth’s surface, as it was the hottest year on record for the global ocean, according to a new study from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP)/Chinese Academy of Science. Researchers Lijing Cheng and Jiang Zhu found that the top 2,000 meters of ocean waters are […]

    It’s Time to Raise the Reefs

    It’s Time to Raise the Reefs

    By Coral Restoration Foundation With today’s resources and knowledge, it is possible to bring coral reefs back to a healthy state. But we need to do it soon, and we need to do it fast. And what better time to do it than in 2018, the International Year of the Reef? Life on Earth needs […]

    Could the Great Barrier Reef Heal Itself? New Study Offers Cautious Hope

    Could the Great Barrier Reef Heal Itself? New Study Offers Cautious Hope

    Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may be able to heal itself from bleaching events, starfish and other disturbances with the help of a group of “source” reefs, according to recent research. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Sheffield, found that three percent […]