84% of the world's coral reefs hit by worst bleaching event on record
apnews.com
Harmful bleaching of the world’s coral has now grown to include 84% of the ocean’s reefs in the most intense event of its kind in recorded history.

It’s the fourth global bleaching event since 1998, and has now surpassed bleaching from 2014-17 that hit some two-thirds of reefs, said the ICRI, a mix of more than 100 governments, non-governmental organizations and others. And it’s not clear when the current crisis, which began in 2023 and is blamed on warming oceans, will end.

“We may never see the heat stress that causes bleaching dropping below the threshold that triggers a global event,” said Mark Eakin, corresponding secretary for the International Coral Reef Society and retired chief of the Coral Reef Watch program of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We’re looking at something that’s completely changing the face of our planet and the ability of our oceans to sustain lives and livelihoods,” Eakin said.

“I think people really need to recognize what they’re doing … inaction is the kiss of death for coral reefs,”

  • KoboldKomrade [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    9·
    2 days ago

    No, and to suggest it is really insulting to all life on earth. Life, including higher life has survived multiple meteor strikes, biogenic atmosphere change (Great Oxygenation), supermassive volcanoes and related phenomena… I know I’m on the doomer community, but like, to think climate change is going to literally kill everything is a bit much.

    Worst case nuclear war probably wouldn’t even kill everything. It’d set life back a good millions of years, and it’d be unlikely higher life reevolves before the sun expands too far, but life is literally everywhere, in very unique and resilient locations (deep sea vents, underground caves, etc). It’d take concerted effort to destroy all life.