Latest news with #Aims
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Warning Great Barrier Reef is reaching a ‘point from which it cannot recover'
The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its steepest annual decline in live coral cover, as reported by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims). This decline follows a record-breaking marine heatwave in 2024, which triggered the worst bleaching events in nearly four decades. Heat stress from climate change is identified as the primary cause of mass bleaching, worsened by factors such as cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. Aims found that two of the three areas monitored since 1986 experienced coral losses, marking the largest annual decline recorded. Researchers warn that the reef faces a "volatile" future and may reach a "point from which it cannot recover" due to the increasing frequency of mass bleaching events.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Great Barrier Reef sees sharpest annual coral decline in nearly four decades
Parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the steepest annual decline in live coral cover following the worst bleaching events in nearly four decades. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, or Aims, said that two of the three areas monitored by researchers since 1986 have suffered coral losses this year. The hard coral cover on the reef has declined largely due to heat stress from climate change. This heat stress has sparked mass bleaching events, which have been worsened by cyclones, flooding, and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish. The latest findings are a warning that the Great Barrier Reef faces a "volatile" future and may reach a 'point from which it cannot recover'. The Great Barrier Reef, located off the northeast coast of Australia, is the world's largest living coral reef system and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Stretching across 2,400km off the Queensland coast, it comprises thousands of individual reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft corals. Aims surveyed 124 coral reefs between August 2024 and May 2025 and found that coral cover had dropped sharply after a record-breaking marine heatwave in 2024, 'prompting grave fears over the trajectory of the natural wonder'. "We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover," said Mike Emslie, head of the institute's long-term monitoring programme. "This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress." Aims says repeated mass coral bleaching is becoming more frequent as the world warms. Coral bleaching is a stress response in which corals expel the algae that give them colour and energy, turning white because the water it lives in is too hot and risking death if conditions don't improve. Mass bleaching was extremely rare before the 1990s. The first two major mass bleaching events weren't recorded until 1998 and 2002. In the years since, Aims noted, the Great Barrier Reef has "experienced unprecedented levels of heat stress, which caused the most spatially extensive and severe bleaching recorded to date'. This was 'the first time we have seen substantial bleaching impacts in the southern region, leading to the largest annual decline since monitoring began', Dr Emslie said. In the wake of the latest mass bleaching event in 2024, aerial surveys showed around three quarters of the 1,080 reefs assessed had some bleaching. And on 40 per cent of those reefs, over half the corals had turned white. It was the fifth mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef since 2016 and had the largest spatial footprint recorded, with high to extreme bleaching prevalence across the three regions, Aims CEO Professor Selina Stead said. Despite the significant losses, Aims said the Great Barrier Reef still had more coral than many other reefs worldwide and remained a major tourist attraction. 'It's possible to find areas that still look good in an ecosystem this huge,' Aims said, 'but that doesn't mean the large-scale average hasn't dropped.' The Great Barrier Reef is not on Unesco's list of endangered world heritage sites, though the UN recommends it should be added. Australia has lobbied for years to keep the reef, which contributes billions of dollars a year to the economy, off the list as it could damage tourism.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Great Barrier Reef sees sharpest annual coral decline in nearly four decades
Parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the steepest annual decline in live coral cover following the worst bleaching events in nearly four decades. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, or Aims, said that two of the three areas monitored by researchers since 1986 have suffered coral losses this year. The hard coral cover on the reef has declined largely due to heat stress from climate change. This heat stress has sparked mass bleaching events, which have been worsened by cyclones, flooding, and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish. The latest findings are a warning that the Great Barrier Reef faces a "volatile" future and may reach a 'point from which it cannot recover'. The Great Barrier Reef, located off the northeast coast of Australia, is the world's largest living coral reef system and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Stretching across 2,400km off the Queensland coast, it comprises thousands of individual reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft corals. Aims surveyed 124 coral reefs between August 2024 and May 2025 and found that coral cover had dropped sharply after a record-breaking marine heatwave in 2024, 'prompting grave fears over the trajectory of the natural wonder'. "We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover," said Mike Emslie, head of the institute's long-term monitoring programme. "This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress." Aims says repeated mass coral bleaching is becoming more frequent as the world warms. Coral bleaching is a stress response in which corals expel the algae that give them colour and energy, turning white because the water it lives in is too hot and risking death if conditions don't improve. Mass bleaching was extremely rare before the 1990s. The first two major mass bleaching events weren't recorded until 1998 and 2002. In the years since, Aims noted, the Great Barrier Reef has "experienced unprecedented levels of heat stress, which caused the most spatially extensive and severe bleaching recorded to date'. This was 'the first time we have seen substantial bleaching impacts in the southern region, leading to the largest annual decline since monitoring began', Dr Emslie said. In the wake of the latest mass bleaching event in 2024, aerial surveys showed around three quarters of the 1,080 reefs assessed had some bleaching. And on 40 per cent of those reefs, over half the corals had turned white. It was the fifth mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef since 2016 and had the largest spatial footprint recorded, with high to extreme bleaching prevalence across the three regions, Aims CEO Professor Selina Stead said. Despite the significant losses, Aims said the Great Barrier Reef still had more coral than many other reefs worldwide and remained a major tourist attraction. 'It's possible to find areas that still look good in an ecosystem this huge,' Aims said, 'but that doesn't mean the large-scale average hasn't dropped.' Australia has lobbied for years to keep the reef, which contributes billions of dollars a year to the economy, off the list as it could damage tourism.
Buzz Feed
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
14 Cool Female Tik Tok Accounts You Should Be Following
Whether they are making us laugh, think, tear up, learn to cook or just plain entertaining us! These ladies have got you covered…so get comfy, clear your schedule and scroll away! Cooking 1. Aims- we don't waste anything! Australian mom of 4 who doesn't waste any food at all. She will take the crusts and left over scraps from her kids breakfast and turn it into delicious granola. Using her air fryer or over; flour, sugar, honey, eggs, oats and spray, she can turn anything into something. Mixed in with some other really funny videos, Aims is a delight and her page is positive and fun and will bring a smile to your face everytime!! Check her out @ 2. Lovina - Amish recipes I just recently discovered her and her page is both educational and fun! Raised Amish but now living outside of the community with her husband, she upload cooking videos daily. Her recipes are all things she grew up making and they all look delicious. Mixed in with some interesting stories about her upbringing and the some history of the recipes, Lovina is a delight and will make you want to put on your apron asap! Check out her page here @literallyjust_a_girl 3. Jess- Aggressive Tutorials Jessica is a mom of 2, who's just about as real as they get. She says it like it is and doesn't hold back. The majority of her videos are of her daily life. Whether it's a realistic grocery haul or cooking meals for her family, her hilariously aggressive approach is very relatable. And her recipes are great and look super yummy! Check her out here @applesauceandadhd Comedy 4. Nicole - for those who love all things '90s/'00 Nicole makes really awesome videos that really capture those golden days. Whether it's a funny boy band video or a full on Y2K fashion haul and try-on; she is for the millennials. Creative, funny and great page if you need to escape for a bit. Check her out here @nicolestorydent 5. Chrissy - lover of dancing and boybands. Dentist by day, true millennial by night. This page is super fun and very hard to not watch every video…twice! Great music, dancing and super hilarious. Whether it's getting your ears pierced at Claire's, rollerskating parties, boy bands, doing car karaoke or waving your hands in the air like you just don't care. Fun, relatable and a great time. Check her out here @csapunch 6. Robyn Schall- Stand Up Comic Robyn went viral during the pandemic and even attracted the attention of Oprah and Jennifer Garner!!! She is a stand up comic from New York and posts daily videos of her life. From her bad dates, recreating other viral videos, her yearly goals list and her family and friends. Robyn is completely authentic, hilarious and very positive all the time. She has created a great community of followers called 'the kids' and is very interactive on her live shows. These videos are guaranteed to make you smile and brighten your day. Find her here @robynschallcomic Poetry - beautiful but might make you cry 7. Josie Balka Josie's poems are so beautiful and when she reads them it is mesmerizing. My favorite one is about being a fan of something. If you are in the mood to get into your emotions then check her out here @josiebalka 8. Whitney Hanson For those days when you want to get into your feels, this is the page for you. Beautiful and heartfelt and emotional are just a few words to describe her poetry. Her poem on grief will touch your heart and make you a little teary. If you love poetry and feeling all your emotions then please check her out @whitneyhansonpoetry 9. Karinna Aidan Poems about something we all experience.. love. Whether it's finding love or losing love or heartbreak, we've all been through it. These poems will make you think and reminisce about the people in your life, past or present. You can find her page here @karinnaaidan Miscellaneous 10. Love Luxery I am obsessed with this page. From the very interesting customers to the very awesome Mayra and Emily, to the insane cost of these bags!! These videos are so fun and informative! I have spent a lot of time watching all of them and kinda feel like an expert when it comes to designer bags now. Check these ladies out @ 11. Jodi Lytle The pallet lady! These videos are very fun and will introduce you to the world of unclaimed mail. Basically you can buy pallets of mail or returned mail and keep it for yourself. The excitement of watching Jodi open the mail and trying to guess what's inside it so fun. Not every item is a winner but occasionally there is some great stuff. Check her out here @palletprincess0 12. Morgan Chomps If you are looking to see someone try all the snacks and give an honest review then this is your page. From everything Reese's or cakes and candy, Morgan tries it all. The only downside is that it makes you want to eat, so maybe have a snack nearby before you watch @morganchompz 13. Dannah Eve All things safety. From getting in your car in the parking lot, to walking home at night, to avoiding someone who is hitting on you and everything in between. This page offers really simple and smart safety tips for every scenario. These videos are very informative and will give you tools and make you feel a bit more prepared if you every came accross any situation you don't want to be in. Definitely worth checking out her page @dannah_eve
