Over the course of a couple of months, scientists and Marine Biologists have been studying the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia. The Climate change is really affecting what is happening to the reef, and cannot really be controlled at all by researchers. Many believe that this bleaching was caused by the years strong El Nino. El Nino’s many different climate changes has caused the sea temperatures to rise, causing the corals to stress. Once these corals stress out, they release a symbiotic chemical, which causes their color to whiten, which then death of the coral is followed if the temperature has not decreased by then. Pilots have been conducting flights over the reefs, and they have seen that the coral bleaching is extensive throughout the entire Great Barrier Reef. There are only 50 reefs that have not been affected yet, possibly more. These scientists are struggling to find a south boundary-where the bleaching is non-existent and the temperatures are significantly lower, but there has not been a boundary found yet. Lots of coral near the southern part of the reef have unusually large tides, which brings cooler water in and results in the reef being saved, but walking on thin ice.
I think that this problem is very bad, and see no way of really stopping the process. Scientists may be able to slow it down, but it seems nearly impossible, having that the Great Barrier Reef is too big to manage this sort of problem. Nature should take its course, if the corals are not too bleached, they will recover in a couple months, as for the coral heads that are severely bleached, they will end up dying.
- Hunter Serrate
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/11/mass-coral-bleaching-now-affecting-half-of-australias-great-barrier-reef
Sustainability at PTS 