Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching at 95 % in northern section

[knocker]

An aerial survey of the northern Great Barrier Reef has shown that 95 per cent of the reefs are now severely bleached — far worse than previously thought.

Professor Terry Hughes, a coral reef expert based at James Cook University in Townsville who led the survey team, said the situation is now critical.

"This will change the Great Barrier Reef forever," Professor Hughes told 7.30.

"We're seeing huge levels of bleaching in the northern thousand-kilometre stretch of the Great Barrier Reef."

Of the 520 reefs he surveyed, only four showed no evidence of bleaching.

From Cairns to the Torres Strait, the once colourful ribbons of reef are a ghostly white.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-28/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-95-per-cent-north-section/7279338

[knocker]

How the 2016 coral bleaching unfolded on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

http://www.readfearn.com/2016/03/how-the-2016-coral-bleaching-unfolded-on-australias-great-barrier-reef/

For a technical explanation of the data

http://www.bom.gov.au/environment/activities/reeftemp/documents/Garde_JOO_2014.pdf

[Styx]

Damaged reefs have shown evidence of recovery but it takes a few years, minus any further heat anomaly events. I can't see the future as being favourible with the way climate change is running away from us. When it comes to the economy and people's livelihoods Queensland faces the prospect of having their tourism and fishing industry decimated when more sections of the reef further south suffer impact events, which they will do as time progresses. 

[Styx]

This story has exploded in the last 24 hours. 93% of the Great Barrier Reef  - which stretches along the entire Queensland coastline - is now showing some degree of visual dieback. The southern section will recover in months as the seasons turn cooler,  but parts of the northern section is going to struggle under any timeline. The Sydney Morning Herald has a report and a map

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/the-great-barrier-reef--93-hit-by-coral-bleaching-surveys-reveal-20160419-goa6jw.html#ixzz46O2Iw2sZ

There has got to be an economic fallout from this unless tourists will be interested in seeing what a warming world has in store for a great natural wonder. The Queensland Labor government has called an emergency meeting between state governments and the Federal Conservative government to discuss what is considered to be a destructive climate change related event, and policies for stronger action. We have a Federal election in July, so a bit of 'politics 'is happening here to show the Conservatives up, but the event is quite shocking enough to warrant it.

In Tasmania we have an unprecedented marine heatwave with four months of sea temps 4C above average. Truly shocking.  I'm hearing the underwater kelp forests off the east coast are succumbing aswell. I will post something on that in coming days, they are amazing underwater forests that don't get much attention.   

   

[knocker]

Extreme coral bleaching may be new normal by 2034

Human caused climate change made the extreme ocean temperatures that led to the massive bleaching events along the Great Barrier Reef this year at least 175 times more likely.

Climate change is very likely to make the extreme ocean temperatures underpinning this year’s massive coral bleaching event occur every two years during March by 2034.

Climate change increased ocean temperatures by 1 degree C during the March 2016 Great Barrier Reef bleaching event.

http://www.climatescience.org.au/content/978-extreme-coral-bleaching-may-be-new-normal-2034

[Spikecollie]

Almost belongs in "Breaking News"

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36173247

Poor weasel...

[knocker]

24 minutes ago, Spikecollie said:

Almost belongs in "Breaking News"

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36173247

Poor weasel...

I'm struggling to find the connection to the Great Barrier Reef

[knocker]

 

[knocker]

 

[knocker]

Exclusive footage: life or death struggle on the Great Barrier Reef.

 

[knocker]

I saw the Great Barrier Reef die last weekend, and I wept

Quote

This is not a crime against humanity. This is a crime by humanity. We have sentenced to death the largest living structure on the planet: the Great Barrier Reef. The sentence is being carried out slowly and painfully before our eyes.

Yes, the catastrophic bleaching of the 2015-16 summer got some media attention and got a bit of playing down, too. But in some ways, the 2016-17 summer was worse for the reef. Not in what happened but in what didn't happen.

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/i-saw-the-great-barrier-reef-die-last-weekend-and-i-wept-20170308-guu0r0.html

[Methuselah]

15 minutes ago, knocker said:

I saw the Great Barrier Reef die last weekend, and I wept

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/i-saw-the-great-barrier-reef-die-last-weekend-and-i-wept-20170308-guu0r0.html

Aye, Malcolm: we are not only killing ourselves?