Australia’s reefs and marine ecosystems – especially the Great Barrier Reef – are at grave risk of mass bleachings and extinction, a marine heatwaves research briefing from the Climate Council has found.
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The Climate Council briefing, “In hot water: Climate change, marine heatwaves and coral bleaching” has been released today, as a UN reef monitoring delegation touches down to assess the condition of the Great Barrier Reef. The monitoring visit comes ahead of a World Heritage Committee meeting in June to consider listing the Reef as ‘in danger’.
The Reef is currently being watched closely by scientists for another possible mass bleaching event, with temperatures up to 3°C higher than average in central parts of the reef. In recent weeks low-to-moderate bleaching has been recorded across parts of the reef. The reef has suffered three mass bleachings in just the past six years (2016, 2017, 2020).
The briefing affirms that last year was the warmest year on record for the world’s oceans.The excess heat absorbed by the ocean in 2021 was equivalent to the energy of seven Hiroshima atomic bombs detonating every second.
Near surface waters off southeastern Australia are warming at nearly four times the global average, leading to changes in the distribution of species, species collapse and a decline in biodiversity.
Climate Councillor, climate scientist and Distinguished Professor of Biology at Macquarie University, Lesley Hughes said: “Under a high emissions scenario, the Reef could face bleaching every year as soon as 2044. This would effectively destroy the Reef and other shallow water reefs worldwide.
“The Great Barrier Reef is dangerously close to another mass bleaching event, which would make it an unprecedented and catastrophic fourth such event in six years. Unless we cut emissions deeply this decade the situation on the reef will only get worse.”
The briefing also reveals that heatwaves are having devastating impacts on Australia’s marine ecosystems including seagrass and kelp forests, and on industries including aquaculture, fisheries and tourism.
Dr Scott Heron, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University said: “The last eight years have been the warmest years on record, so it isn’t a surprise that we’ve seen increased frequency and severity of marine heatwaves.
“Summertime heatwaves in that period have had severe impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, which not only affect the Reef and the organisms that live there but also the people whose livelihoods rely upon a vibrant reef, such as tourism operators and commercial fishers. It is clear that we need strong action this decade from Australia and from the global community on the primary cause of climate change – fossil fuel emissions.”
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Environment groups told the Guardian while they were not aware of any details of the itinerary, it was vital the scientists were allowed to see any bleaching for themselves.
