The recognized Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Australia world’s largest coral systemIt records an unprecedented number of corals in 36 years, but remains vulnerable to mass laundering due to climate crisisAccording to an annual study published this Thursday.
According to the annual report on the state of the Great Barrier Reef from Australia, “By 2022, a widespread recovery has resulted in the largest coral cover recorded by the LTPM (Long-Term Monitoring Programme) in the northern and central Great Barrier Reef.” Marine Sciences Institute.
The LTPM study, which began 36 years ago, shows that 38 of the 87 representative reefs analyzed between August 2021 and May 2022 showed coverage levels between 10 and 30 percent. The other 28 reefs show 30 to 50 percent coverage, much higher than what was recorded in last year’s study of the Great Barrier Reef.
Acropora Corals (Elkhorns)
This is due to an increase in Acropora (elkhorn) corals, the predominant coral group in the Great Barrier Reef, which is largely viviparous. responsible for the above changes in hard coral cover,” said the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
But AIMS noted that this species is more prone to wave damage caused by strong winds and tropical cyclones, as well as bleaching from warming waters. They are also the preferred prey of the crown of thorns pest. “This means that large increases in hard coral cover can quickly be offset by disturbances in reefs dominated by Acropora corals,” AIMS expert Mike Emslie said in a government statement. Said.
Pests and whitewash
AIMS is part of the southern region of the Great Barrier Reef. Growth from 38 percent in 2021 fell to 34 percent this year With the proliferation of the plague of crowns of thorns, this work gained attention. “This shows how vulnerable the Great Barrier Reef is to more frequent and longer lasting acute and severe disturbances,” said AIMS Executive Director Paul Hardisty. The Great Barrier Reef, which is at risk of being listed as an Endangered World Heritage Site, has been significantly whitewashed in 2022 as well as in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017 and 2020, although it dominated that year. By the La Niña phenomenon, which caused a drop in temperatures in Australia.
the House 400 kinds of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 species of mollusksThe Great Barrier Reef began to deteriorate in the 1990s due to the double effect of warming seawater and increased acidity due to the presence of more CO2 in the atmosphere.