US Agency Warns: Mass Coral Bleaching Expected in Near Future
2024-03-13
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1The American agency that follows the risk of coral bleaching around the world says "the worst bleaching event in the history of the planet may come soon."
2Those are the words of Derek Manzello, head of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch.
3NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
4Manzello said the "entirety" of the Southern Hemisphere is "probably going to bleach this year."
5The Southern Hemisphere is currently in summer and suffering from record-breaking water temperatures.
6Experts say climate change and the El Nino weather pattern are to blame for the warmer water.
7Corals are small marine organisms that attach to mineral deposits in the ocean.
8Collections of the animals form ocean structures that support many kinds of sea life.
9Bleaching is the term used by experts who see the once colorful coral turn white when water temperatures rise.
10It is a sign the animals are dying.
11If corals die or go dormant, they can hurt fishing and tourism industries.
12The last large coral bleaching event around the world took place from 2014 to 2017.
13At the time, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia lost nearly one-third of its coral.
14Overall, the world lost 15 percent of its coral.
15Corals get their color from small plants called algae that live inside them.
16The high temperatures stress the coral and cause them to expel the algae.
17When that happens, the corals lose their color.
18The algae help the coral stay healthy and without it, the corals face increasing risk of disease.
19Observers are concerned that 2024's bleaching will be even worse than the last time.
20Scientists reported the worst coral bleaching on record in the Caribbean late last year.
21Manzello said there is coral bleaching "all over the place" in the Southern Hemisphere.
22He said all of the Great Barrier Reef is bleaching as are reefs in the territory of American Samoa.
23The El Nino weather pattern always brings warmer ocean temperatures.
24However, the world just experienced one of the warmest 12-month periods on record.
25In 2023, temperatures were 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than during pre-industrial times.
26Scientists say a longer period of high temperatures could cause the deaths of 90 percent of the world's coral.
27Manzello noted that scientists must look at coral in all three major oceans - Atlantic, Pacific and Indian - to call a bleaching event "global."
28Scientists use sea surface temperature data and examine satellite imagery of reefs to measure for bleaching.
29Based on studies so far, Manzello said the world is "already there."
30A similar study of Indian Ocean coral is continuing.
31Joanne Manning is a spokesperson for the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
32Manning said the organization has documented extensive bleaching in the Keppels area and Capricorn-Bunker groups.
33She said the group's research continues.
34I'm Dan Friedell.
1The American agency that follows the risk of coral bleaching around the world says "the worst bleaching event in the history of the planet may come soon." 2Those are the words of Derek Manzello, head of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch. 3NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 4Manzello said the "entirety" of the Southern Hemisphere is "probably going to bleach this year." The Southern Hemisphere is currently in summer and suffering from record-breaking water temperatures. 5Experts say climate change and the El Nino weather pattern are to blame for the warmer water. 6Sensitive organisms 7Corals are small marine organisms that attach to mineral deposits in the ocean. Collections of the animals form ocean structures that support many kinds of sea life. 8Bleaching is the term used by experts who see the once colorful coral turn white when water temperatures rise. It is a sign the animals are dying. 9If corals die or go dormant, they can hurt fishing and tourism industries. 10The last large coral bleaching event around the world took place from 2014 to 2017. At the time, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia lost nearly one-third of its coral. Overall, the world lost 15 percent of its coral. 11Corals get their color from small plants called algae that live inside them. The high temperatures stress the coral and cause them to expel the algae. When that happens, the corals lose their color. The algae help the coral stay healthy and without it, the corals face increasing risk of disease. 12Observers are concerned that 2024's bleaching will be even worse than the last time. Scientists reported the worst coral bleaching on record in the Caribbean late last year. 13Manzello said there is coral bleaching "all over the place" in the Southern Hemisphere. He said all of the Great Barrier Reef is bleaching as are reefs in the territory of American Samoa. 14The El Nino weather pattern always brings warmer ocean temperatures. However, the world just experienced one of the warmest 12-month periods on record. In 2023, temperatures were 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than during pre-industrial times. Scientists say a longer period of high temperatures could cause the deaths of 90 percent of the world's coral. 15Manzello noted that scientists must look at coral in all three major oceans - Atlantic, Pacific and Indian - to call a bleaching event "global." 16Scientists use sea surface temperature data and examine satellite imagery of reefs to measure for bleaching. Based on studies so far, Manzello said the world is "already there." 17A similar study of Indian Ocean coral is continuing. 18Joanne Manning is a spokesperson for the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Manning said the organization has documented extensive bleaching in the Keppels area and Capricorn-Bunker groups. She said the group's research continues. 19I'm Dan Friedell. 20Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Reuters. 21_______________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23entirety -adj. everything, or the full amount 24deposit -n. a substance left behind, or created during a chemical reaction 25dormant -adj. not actively growing but still alive, such as when grass turns brown in the winter 26expel -v. to push something out 27We want to hear from you. Will you be able to see coral before it is too late?