Yale E360
View In: Coral ReefsPlease note that for the first time in a LaNina year there was a major coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef in 2022.
The 2022 mass bleaching event was the fourth in seven years and the first ever to strike during the Pacific Ocean’s cooler La Niña phase, though it was less severe than other recent bleaching events, offering some chance for limited recovery.
Coral cover reached 36% in the northern third of the reef and 33% in the central third, up from 27% and 26%, respectively, the prior year. Southern third saw coral cover drop from 38% to 34% year on year largely due to Crown of Thorns starfish infestation.
If an El nino year follows with a marine heatwave in 2023 it will undo reef recovery.
Via: @takvera@c.im