Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Scientists have warned that the corals that lie across the Great Barrier Reef in Australia could get hit by mass bleaching by the end of January, for the fourth time in seven years.
Data from US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that a section of the Great Barrier Reef, stretching over 800 miles, is likely to undergo a bleaching event by the third week of January. The forecast also says that areas north of Cairns in Queensland will hit ‘Alert Level 2′ where both significant coral mortality and widespread bleaching are likely.
Australian scientists are on high alert during the summer of the southern hemisphere as coral bleaching is more likely to occur in the warmer seasons. Scientists said that 30 percent of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef died out in 2016 due to coral bleaching and the third mass bleaching event took place in 2020. According to scientists, humans burning fossil fuels raise the temperatures of the water and warming waters are a threat to corals. It leads to coral bleaching, pollution and more acidic waters.
Professor Peter Mumby at the University of Queensland told the Guardian that the reef, which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1981, is in a critical period for recovery, and that the scientific community was depressed at the possibility of yet another bleaching event.
According to Dr David Wachenfeld, chief scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority,, the temperature of the water almost everywhere, was presently above average, and some areas 2C warmer.
A cyclone or some other cooling event is the scientists’ last bet to ward off the chances of mass bleaching.
Higher temperatures of the water make the corals release algae that comprise 90 percent of their energy, which turns the vibrantly-colored communities of coral white. Corals that are bleached have significantly higher chances of dying although some can still recover over time. The ones that don’t are severely weakened and get caught up in seaweed. Previous studies have proved that bleached corals can recover and survive the bleaching if it is able to procure nutrients soon, else it can die in a matter of days.
A saving factor could be Australia being subjected to the influence of La Nina, where surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are cooled. This could cause more rain at the waters of the reef, which in turn could help the reef steer clear of a bleaching event.
“We’re hoping those typical La Niña conditions will kick in. The weather events over the next few weeks are critical,” said Dr David Wachenfeld.
