the Great Barrier Reef hit by the worst bleaching episode ever observed

The Great Barrier Reef, northeast of Australia, is currently experiencing the worst bleaching episode ever observed, due to global warming. In total, 730 of the more than 1,000 reefs observed to have bleached have been damaged, the authority in charge of this natural jewel announced on Wednesday April 17.

“The cumulative impact suffered by the barrier this summer was higher than in previous summers”, underlines in a press release the authority of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which depends on the Australian federal government. Announced in March, this new episode of massive bleaching, due to the rise in water temperature, which leads to the expulsion of symbiotic algae giving the coral its bright color, is the fifth in eight years. If high temperatures persist, the coral turns white and dies.

This decline phenomenon threatens the survival of coral reefs around the world, the American Oceanic and Atmospheric Observation Agency warned on Monday. The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches 2,300 km along the Queensland coast, is often considered the largest living structure in the world. It is home to extremely rich biodiversity, with more than 600 species of coral and 1,625 species of fish.