What Happened?
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared a “4th global coral bleaching event” that has been documented over the last 14 months in every major ocean basin, and this current global bleaching event is poised to become the worst on record. [nbcnews.com, theguardian.com, bbc.com, washingtonpost.com, foxnews.com, apnews.com, newsweek.com, nytimes.com, cnn.com, commondreams.org]
- Caused by rising sea temperatures the event, the most extensive on record, affects over half the world’s coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef. [nytimes.com, bbc.com, washingtonpost.com]
- It threatens the survival of 1 in 4 of every living organism in the ocean. [newsweek.com, apnews.com]
- Significant bleaching has been documented across at least 53 countries, territories, or local economies. [foxnews.com, apnews.com, newsweek.com]
- Coral bleaching occurs when stressed coral expel the algae that are their food source and give them their color, and if the bleaching is severe and long-lasting, the coral can die. [foxnews.com, apnews.com, newsweek.com, bbc.com, nbcnews.com, theguardian.com, cnn.com, commondreams.org]
- Coral reefs are important ecosystems that sustain underwater life, protect biodiversity, and support local economies through tourism. [foxnews.com, apnews.com, newsweek.com, nytimes.com, bbc.com, nbcnews.com, theguardian.com]
- Scientists are working to learn more about how coral responds to heat and to identify naturally heat-tolerant corals. [foxnews.com, apnews.com]
- The global coral reef bleaching event has been confirmed from February 2023 to now, caused by abnormally high ocean temperatures across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. [apnews.com, newsweek.com]
- As the world’s oceans continue to warm, coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and severe, threatening the survival of 1 in 4 of every living organism in the ocean. [newsweek.com, apnews.com]
What is conservative media saying:
- One reef that fared better than others last year was the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, which was afforded some protection by its location in deeper water. [foxnews.com]
What is liberal media saying?
- Climate change, driven by the greenhouse gases emitted from burning fossil fuels, is the primary cause of the rise in sea surface temperatures. [nytimes.com, bbc.com, nbcnews.com, theguardian.com, cnn.com, commondreams.org]
- At even 2 degrees of warming, approximately 99% of corals on Earth would die, as coral reefs are crucial for the world’s coastal communities, acting as a vital defense system against the threat of flooding from storms and sea level rise, and providing livelihoods and a vital food source for an estimated billion people globally. [cnn.com, commondreams.org]
- Preventing governments from investing in fossil fuels is crucial to save coral reefs, as global heating has combined with a global El Niño to push up sea surface temperatures, and current climate models suggest that every reef on the planet will experience severe, annual bleaching sometime between 2040 and 2050. [nbcnews.com, theguardian.com]
Media Sources:
- Fox News (foxnews.com)
- Associated Press (apnews.com)
- Newsweek (newsweek.com)
- The New York Times (nytimes.com)
- BBC (bbc.com)
- The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)
- NBC News (nbcnews.com)
- The Guardian (theguardian.com)
- CNN (cnn.com)
- Common Dreams (commondreams.org)
