Great Barrier Reef Faces Unprecedented Threat

Research indicates that water temperatures around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have reached a 400-year high, driven by climate change. The reef, the world's largest living ecosystem, faces significant threats, including mass coral bleaching and death, which could impact tourism and local economies.

Water temperatures in and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have risen to their warmest in 400 years over the past decade, putting the world's largest reef under significant threat, researchers revealed on Thursday. The Great Barrier Reef stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) off the northern coast of Queensland.

Scientists from various Australian universities conducted a study by drilling cores into coral formations and examining them, similar to how tree rings are analyzed. The team measured summer ocean temperatures dating back to 1618, combining these findings with ship and satellite data spanning around a century. The study concludes that ocean temperatures, stable for hundreds of years, began to rise from 1900 due to human activity.

The authors observed an average annual warming of 0.12°C (0.22°F) per decade from January to March between 1960 and 2024. Drastic temperature increases since 2016 have led to five mass coral bleaching events during five of the six warmest years in four centuries. The most recent data, from January to March this year, showed the highest recorded temperatures, further threatening the reef.

(With inputs from agencies.)