Australian coral reefs endures intense bleaching event ever

(MENAFN) Renowned coral reefs along the coast of Western Australia have endured the most severe bleaching event ever documented, following what scientists describe as the state’s “longest, largest and most intense” marine heatwave.

Between August last year and May this year, elevated water temperatures caused extreme heat stress on the reefs, prompting many corals to expel the vital algae that provide them with color and sustenance—a process known as bleaching, which often leads to coral death.

The damage, which will require months to fully evaluate, stretches across 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and includes areas previously considered resilient to climate change effects.

Globally, coral reefs have been battling a two-year coral bleaching crisis driven by record-high ocean temperatures.

Typically, eight weeks of heat stress is sufficient to cause coral mortality, and early estimates suggest that many Western Australian reefs suffered between 15 and 30 weeks of such stress, according to the country’s marine science agency.

James Gilmour of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims) commented, “The length and intensity of the heat stress, and its footprint across multiple regions, is something we've never seen before on most of the reefs in Western Australia.”

Aims’ recent report identified the 2024-25 season as the “most severe coral bleaching on record” affecting both the northwestern and central WA reefs.

“Areas which had given us hope because they'd rarely or not bleached before - like the Rowley Shoals, north Kimberley and Ningaloo - have been hit hard this time. Finally, climate heating has caught up with these reefs,” Gilmour added.

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