Australia's Great Barrier Reef suffers record coral decline following mass bleaching
FILE PHOTO: Assorted reef fish swim above a finger coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo
SYDNEY - Australia's Great Barrier Reef has suffered the largest decline in coral cover in two of its three regions over the last year, research released on Wednesday showed, following a mass bleaching of its corals that was among the worst on record.
The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences said the reef has experienced the largest annual decline in coral cover in its northern and southern regions since monitoring began 39 years ago, with coral cover dropping between a quarter and a third after several years of solid growth.
"We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover," said Mike Emslie, head of institute's long term monitoring programme.
"This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress."
The reef, the world's largest living ecosystem, stretches for some 2,400 km (1,500 miles) off the coast of the northern state of Queensland.
Since 2016, the reef has experienced five summers of mass coral bleaching, when large sections of the reef turn white due to heat stress, putting them at greater risk of death.
The 2024 event had the largest footprint ever recorded on the reef, with high to extreme bleaching across all of its three regions, the report said.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Finding hidden vapes: Inside ICA's mission to uncover contraband at land checkpoints
Singapore Delays on East-West MRT Line between Boon Lay and Buona Vista due to track point fault
Singapore Sorting recyclables by material could boost low domestic recycling rate: Observers
Singapore SM Lee receives Australia's highest civilian honour for advancing bilateral ties
Asia Trump's sharp India criticism on tariffs, Russia oil corner Modi as rift deepens
Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels
Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news
Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan
The Great Barrier Reef is not currently on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites that are in danger, though the UN recommends it should be added.
Australia has lobbied for years to keep the reef - which contributes A$6.4 billion ($4.2 billion) to the economy annually - off the endangered list, as it could damage tourism. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
July was Earth's third-hottest on record, included a record for Turkey, EU scientists say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BRUSSELS - Last month was Earth's third-warmest July since records began and included a record national temperature in Turkey of 50.5 deg C, scientists said on Aug 7. July continued a trend of extreme climate conditions that scientists attribute to man-made global warming, even though there was a pause in record-breaking temperatures for the planet. According to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the average global surface air temperature reached 16.68 deg C in July, which is 0.45 deg C above the 1991-2020 average for the month. 'Two years after the hottest July on record, the recent streak of global temperature records is over - for now,' said Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S. 'But this doesn't mean climate change has stopped. We continued to witness the effects of a warming world in events such as extreme heat and catastrophic floods in July.' While not as hot as the record-setting July 2023 and second-warmest July 2024, Earth's average surface temperature in July was still 1.25 deg C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale. Moreover, the 12-month period from August 2024 to July 2025 was 1.53 deg C warmer than pre-industrial levels, exceeding the 1.5 deg C threshold that was set as a maximum in the Paris Agreement that sought to curb global warming and entered into force in 2016. The main cause of climate change is the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels . 2024 was the world's hottest year ever recorded. The world has not yet officially surpassed the 1.5 deg C target, which refers to a long-term global average temperature over several decades. However, some scientists argue that staying below this threshold is no longer realistically achievable. They are urging governments to accelerate cuts to CO2 emissions to reduce the extent of the overshoot and curb the rise in extreme weather events. The C3S has temperature records dating back to 1940, which are cross-referenced with global data reaching as far back as 1850. REUTERS
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
UK scientists find genes linked with chronic fatigue syndrome
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A study showed that eight areas of genetic code are different in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) than in healthy people. LONDON - Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said on Aug 6 they have discovered differences in the DNA of people with chronic fatigue syndrome that should help dispel the notion that the debilitating condition is psychological or driven by laziness. Their study found eight areas of genetic code that are different in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) than in healthy volunteers. The finding provides 'the first robust evidence that genes contribute to a person's chance of developing the disease,' the researchers said in a statement. The key features of the condition include worsening of fatigue, pain and brain fog after even minor physical or mental activity. Very little has been known about the causes of ME/CFS, and there is no diagnostic test or cure. The condition is believed to affect around 67 million people worldwide, the researchers said. The DecodeME study analysed DNA samples from 15,579 people who reported having chronic fatigue on a questionnaire and 259,909 people without it, all of European descent. Gene variants that were more common in people reporting ME/CFS were linked to the immune and nervous systems, according to a report of the study that has not yet been peer-reviewed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MRT track issue causes 5-hour delay; Jeffrey Siow says 'we can and will do better' Singapore ST Explains: What is a track point fault and why does it cause lengthy train disruptions? Singapore Three people taken to hospital after fire in Punggol executive condominium Singapore Elderly man found dead in SingPost Centre stairwell could have been in confused state: Coroner Singapore 81 primary schools to hold ballot for Phase 2C of Primary 1 registration Singapore S'pore and Indonesia have discussed jointly developing military training facilities: Chan Chun Sing Singapore Two workers died after being hit by flying gas cylinders in separate incidents in 2025 Sport Young Lions and distance runner Soh Rui Yong left out of SEA Games contingent At least two of the gene regions relate to how the body responds to infection, which aligns with reports that the symptoms often start after an infectious illness, the researchers said. Another gene region has previously been identified in people with chronic pain, another common symptom of the condition. The findings 'align with decades of patients reporting on their experiences,' researcher Andy Devereux-Cooke said in a statement, adding that they 'should prove game changing in the ME/CFS research field.' 'These results will not mean that a test or cure will be developed straight away, but they will lead to a greater understanding,' he said. Scientists who were not involved in the study said using volunteers who self-reported chronic fatigue syndrome rather than restricting participation to those with a diagnosis from a medical professional somewhat weakened its conclusions. They called for larger studies to replicate the results. Substantial work will be necessary 'to translate these findings into new treatments,' said Dr Jackie Cliff, who studies infection and immunity in ME/CFS at Brunel University of London. 'This will take considerable investment in academia and by industry.' AFP
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Big picture on Alzheimer's is missing some pieces
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Subtle changes that contribute to cognitive decline could be flying under the radar. The disease accounts for most cases of dementia, an umbrella term for diseases that diminish memory, thinking and everyday functioning. For any crime, there is always an early suspect. For Alois Alzheimer, a Bavarian pathologist who sought to understand the human brain, one paranoid patient's early memory loss was plainly caused by the peculiar protein clumps found in her brain after death.
