Page 12 - aruba-today-20220512

A12 science
Thursday 12 May 2022

Most Great Barrier Reef coral studied

this year was bleached

tage Committee's agenda
at its next annual meeting.
The Great Barrier Reef ac-
counts for around 10% of
the world's coral reef eco-
systems and was named
because of the extensive
hazards it posed to 18th
century seafarers. The net-
work of more than 2,500
reefs covers 348,000 square
kilometers (134,000 square
miles).
Coral is made up of tiny an-
imals called polyps that are
fed by microscopic algae
that live inside the reefs
and are sensitive to chang-
In this photo supplied by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Au-
thority (GBRMPA), a diver swims past coral on the Great Barrier es in water temperatures.
Reef in Australia, Oct. 18, 2016. The algae provide the reefs
Associated Press with their kaleidoscope of
colors and produce sug-
By ROD McGUIRK low mortality," Wachenfeld ars through photosynthesis
Associated Press added. that provide the coral with
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) The bleaching events in most of its nutrients.
— More than 90% of Great 2016 and 2017 led to "quite Rising ocean temperatures
Barrier Reef coral surveyed high levels of coral mortal- turn the chemicals that the
this year was bleached in ity," Wachenfeld said. algae produce into toxins.
the fourth such mass event Simon Bradshaw, a re- The coral turns white as it
in seven years in the world's searcher at the Climate effectively spits the poison-
largest coral reef ecosys- Council, an Australia- ous algae out.
tem, Australian govern- based group that tracks Heat stress beyond a few
ment scientists said. climate change, said the weeks can lead the coral
Bleaching is caused by report demonstrated the to die of starvation.
global warming, but this reef's survival depended The latest bleaching is an
is the reef's first bleach- on steep global emission unwelcome reminder of
ing event during a La Niña cuts within the decade. the differences in climate
weather pattern, which is "This is heartbreaking. change policy among Aus-
associated with cooler Pa- This is deeply troubling," tralian politicians.
cific Ocean temperatures, Bradshaw said. "It shows The conservative govern-
the Great Barrier Reef Ma- that our Barrier Reef really ment seeking reelection on
rine Authority said in its an- is in very serious trouble in- May 21 has less ambitious
nual report released late deed." emission reduction targets
Tuesday that found 91% of Last December, the first than the center-left opposi-
the areas surveyed were month of the Southern tion is promising.
affected. Hemisphere summer, was Prime Minister Scott Mor-
Bleaching in 2016, 2017 and the hottest December the rison's Liberal Party aims to
2020 damaged two-thirds reef had experienced since reduce Australia's emissions
of the coral in the famed 1900. A "marine heatwave" by 26% to 28% below 2005
reef off Australia's eastern had set in by late February, levels by 2030.
coast. the report said. The opposition Labor Party
Coral bleaches as a heat A United Nations delega- has promised to reduce
stress response and scien- tion visited the reef in emissions by 43% by the
tists hope most of the coral March to assess whether end of the decade.
will recover from the cur- the reef's World Heritage Morrison was widely criti-
rent event, said David Wa- listing should be down- cized at the U.N. climate
chenfeld, chief scientist at graded due to the ravages conference last November
the authority, which man- of climate change. for failing to set a more am-
ages the reef ecosystem. In July last year, Australia bitious target.
"The early indications are garnered enough interna- The environmental group
that the mortality won't tional support to defer an Greenpeace Australia Pa-
be very high," Wachenfeld attempt by UNESCO, the cific said in a statement the
said on Wednesday. United Nations' cultural or- extent of the latest bleach-
"We are hoping that we ganization, to downgrade ing was "another damn-
will see most of the coral the reef's World Heritage ing indictment of the Mor-
that is bleached recover status to "in danger" be- rison government which
and we will end up with an cause of damage caused has failed to protect the
event rather more like 2020 by climate change. reef and exacerbated the
when, yes, there was mass But the question will be problem through its support
bleaching, but there was back on the World Heri- of fossil fuels."q