The federal agency that manages the Great Barrier Reef issued an unprecedented statement that broke ranks with Australia’s conservative government and called for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Guardian. The position statement issued by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is unequivocal in its stance that the climate crisis […]
By Marlene Cimons The climate is changing faster than many species can adapt, so scientists are trying to speed up evolution by fostering the spread of creatures who can take the heat. Think of it as natural selection with a little boost from humans—or, in some cases, robots. To that end, Australian scientists Peter Harrison […]
The Great Barrier Reef has been hit hard by climate change. As waters warm, the higher ocean temperatures force the coral to expel the algae that lives inside of it, providing it with both its nutrients and its brilliant colors. If the water does not cool fast enough and the algae does not return, the […]
Australian scientists have found the “most diverse coral site” on the Great Barrier Reef, observing at least 195 different species of corals in space no longer than 500 meters, The Guardian reported. The non-profit organization Great Barrier Reef Legacy and marine scientist Charlie Veron, a world expert on coral reefs, confirmed the diversity of the […]
For any nature lover, one of the most sobering pieces of information from this month’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was that global warming of just two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could kill off 99 percent of tropical coral reefs. And even if we act quickly and successfully limit warming to 1.5 […]
Australia’s coal-loving lawmakers dismissed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) warning to phase out the polluting fossil fuel by 2050. In a recent interview with SkyNews, deputy prime minister Michael McCormack said Australia will “absolutely” continue to use and exploit its coal reserves regardless of what the IPCC report says. Scientists: We have 12 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A study published Wednesday had some frightening news for the Great Barrier Reef—the iconic marine ecosystem is at “unprecedented” risk of collapse due to climate change after a 2016 heat wave led to the largest mass coral bleaching event in the reef’s history. But another study published Thursday in PLOS Genetics offers some hope: Corals […]