Their study, published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography Lettersconsisted in following the state of health of 462 colonies of corals, for 161 days, near the research station of the University of Sydney on the large barrier of Corail, in One Tree Island. A virgin, isolated area, and so far spared by the massive whitening episodes of corals.
Led in 2024, the hottest year on earth as in the oceans, the study established that in February, two -thirds of the colonies had lost their colors. They were 80% in April. And in July, “44 % of the discolored colonies had died, certain kinds of corals, such as Acropora, displaying an amazing mortality rate of 95 %,” said the authors of the study.
The corals whiten when they expel their zooxanthelles, these algae which live in symbiosis in their fabrics and bring them the nutrients that are necessary for them, and give them their bright colors. This phenomenon most often is following physical stress, linked to the increase in water temperature.
This study goes in the same direction as the work of the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, also carried out in 2024, north of the area, and published in November. She had concluded that twelve reefs from the large coral barrier had undergone mortalities up to 72%, under the combined effects of water heat, and the passage of two cyclones.
-The subject is taken very seriously by the Australian state, which has embarked on a vast investment plan to protect the great barrier of Corail, which extends over 2300 km along the Coast of the State of Queensland. Considered the largest living structure in the world, it houses more than 600 species of corals and 1625 species of fish.
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