Kathmandu— The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) has issued a warning that global coral reef coverage is at risk of irreversible decline due to frequent bleaching events. The report, released on Monday, states that coral reefs, which make up just 1 percent of ocean coverage but host a quarter of all marine life, are experiencing bleaching so frequently that they do not have time to recover before the next event.

Frequent Bleaching Events

Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the colorful algae living in their tissues due to stress from high temperatures. Without this algae, corals become vulnerable to starvation and disease. Lead author Manuel Gonzalez Rivero of the Australian Institute of Marine Science noted that global coral cover has remained relatively unchanged until 2010 but has since experienced a steep decline. The latest bleaching event in 2023 was the most extensive on record, affecting 77 percent of the world’s coral reef areas.

Rivero warned another such bleaching event is very likely this year due to elevated global temperatures.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.