Coral bleach: alarm level red for the reefs of our seas!

Coral bleach: alarm level red for the reefs of our seas!

The international community faces an alarming Situation: The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) warned of the devastating consequences of the coral bleach. This is the fourth worldwide blank event since 1998, and the effects are serious. After all, 84 percent of all coral reefs worldwide are affected, which underlines the drama of the situation.

The current crisis began in 2023 and is reinforced by the increasing water temperatures in the oceans. Mark Eakin, the managing director of the ICRI, said that the heat stress may never fall below the threshold that could cause normalization of this situation. The current bleach already exceeds the extent of the crisis from 2014 to 2017, which affected around two thirds of the global reefs, and it remains unclear when this crisis could end.

scientific knowledge and developments

The year 2023 was the warmest year since the beginning of the records, with an average surface temperature of the oceans of 20.87 degrees Celsius. This warming is fatal for corals that emerge small algae at heat stress that are indispensable for their survival. This not only leads to a massive bleach, but also to the permanent extinction of the corals. According to the ICRI, this is not only an ecological crisis, but also an economic, since coral reefs accommodate 25 percent of all sea creatures from erosion and storm.

In the past 30 years, about half of the corals have disappeared in the Great Barrier Reef. These reefs are often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea" because they have an extremely high biodiversity. In addition, they are of great importance for tourism, which underlines the urgency of a solution to prevent their destruction.

global responsibility and need for action

The alarming situation requires an immediate reaction of the governments and international organizations. Scientists and experts worldwide warn that the future of the coral reefs remains at risk without comprehensive measures to combat climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The responsibility lies not only with the governments, but also with every single to take measures to reduce one's own ecological footprint.

The global community must now work together to protect the corals and their habitats. If we do not do anything, we not only risk the loss of these unique ecosystems, but also significant economic and ecological damage that extends far beyond the loss of corals. The time is now .