4th global coral bleaching event a threat to vital ecosystems: WCS

Image: Wildlife Conservation Society

The latest report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Coral Reef Initiative confirms troubling news: the world is in the midst of its fourth global coral bleaching event, with dire consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

Worsened by prolonged increases in ocean temperatures, bleaching-level heat stress is predicted to impact vast regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans over the next year.

Already recorded in 54 countries, this event (the second in the last 10 years) could become the largest coral bleaching event on record, endangering coral reef ecosystems valued at $2.7tn annually and vital to the livelihoods of nearly one billion people worldwide.

Urgent response needed to protect coral reefs

In response to this alarming development, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has intensified its efforts to identify and protect climate-resilient coral reefs.

Dr Emily Darling, director of Coral Reefs at WCS, emphasised the urgency of the situation: “Temperatures are off the charts. Finding and conserving these priority reefs are critical to any global strategy to safeguard the planet’s oceans and blue economies.”

Through collaboration with coastal communities and global scientists, WCS is pioneering efforts to identify three types of climate-resilient coral reefs:

• Avoidance reefs: Located in rare underwater ‘cool spots,’ these reefs have largely evaded the impacts of warm water events.
• Resistance reefs: Evolving adaptations that allow corals to withstand warm water events, these reefs defy bleaching and other impacts.
• Recovery reefs: Despite bleaching or storm damage, these reefs exhibit rapid recovery, regenerating at an impressive pace.

Aligned with its conservation efforts, WCS recently trained 30 scientists from the Coral Triangle to monitor coral bleaching and identify resilient reefs using underwater surveys.

By championing shared methods and data platforms like MERMAID, WCS aims to pinpoint resilient reefs crucial for inclusion in national biodiversity action plans.

Call to action

Dr Darling underscores the need for immediate action: “The announcement of the 4th global bleaching event is an urgent call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prioritise resilient coral reefs for conservation,” she said.

As the world faces unprecedented threats to marine ecosystems, collaborative efforts and innovative conservation strategies are essential to safeguarding the ocean’s biodiversity and securing the future of coastal communities.