A recent survey unveils the coral bleaching on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2016 was very worse than previously expected. The impact of this incident is very high and concerning.
Coral bleaching is now a very concerning fact and the situation in last year was very bad than it was previously thought. The most shocking thing is the rapidly accelerating bad impacts of this bleaching. Though, the complete impact of the latest event is yet to be estimated.
The officials of the Queensland Government reveal the increasing impact of the coral bleaching from the north to south. The confirmation of the escalating impact came from the aerial and in-water surveys that were taken throughout 2016. Russell Reichelt, the chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, uttered significantly about this incident.
Russell Reichelt stated that the Great Barrier Reef experienced widespread and significant damage in the last two years, according to The Guardian. He reveals that the amount of death of the coral cover due to the coral bleaching in 2016 excelled the original estimates. The alarming fact is the decline of the coral cover may further escalate by the end of the current year that is 2017.
The said studies noticed the severe coral bleaching in the north of Port Douglas. Almost 70% of the shallow water corals died in that area. This event indicates important variability between the reefs and also within the reefs.
Surveys have confirmed that almost 29% of the shallow water corals had died due to the coral bleaching in 2016. This number exceeds the previous estimate of 22%. The shocking thing is the coral reefs' northern parts are the worst affected area. Even the major portion of this said mortality is occurring in this area.
Surveys also noticed bleaching in the corals that are beyond depths, but the systematic assessment of the mortality could not be done. Though, some hopes are still alive even in the midst of this severe coral bleaching. A major recovery was found at the same time in the southern part. The reason behind it was the absence of the bleaching.
Last year coral bleaching occurred on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia maintaining a similar pattern. The pattern was very acute between Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and Townsville. Times Now reported that both the cities in Australia are regarded as the major tourist destinations.
The painful fact is these two spots suffered a lot from the coral bleaching. The recovery of the coral can only be possible when the temperature of the water decreases and the algae can recolonise them. Though, it will take a huge time.
There is a huge possibility of more coral loss this year. Two key reasons are lurking behind this probability. Coral bleaching is no doubt the vital reason, but another key cause is the impacts of Debbie, the Tropical Cyclone.
