Worst coral bleaching on record for Western Australian reefs
Eight weeks of heat stress is usually enough to kill coral, and early estimates showed many WA reefs suffered between 15 and 30, said Australia's marine science agency. "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," James Gilmour, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims), said.In a new report, the Aims researchers found the 2024-25 season was the "most severe coral bleaching on record" for WA coral reefs across both the northwestern and central 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," he said.
Climate change means bleaching events are becoming more frequent, more intense and more widespread, which Dr Gilmore says gives coral reefs - which need 10 to 15 years to recover - little time to bounce back."Climate change caused by carbon emissions remains the greatest threat to our coral reefs, and all reefs globally," he said.
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