The Great Barrier Reef is also threatened / Article

Summer in Australia is from December to February. Last summer was the worst in history for the Great Barrier Reef. Corals are greatly affected by global warming – several historical records were broken last year and extreme weather conditions were experienced in many places, the temperature of the oceans is also rising rapidly.

The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced last month that massive coral bleaching is occurring worldwide.

It also threatens the tens of thousands of living creatures that depend on the reef for survival.

“Climate projections predict that between 2040 and 2050, every coral reef on the planet will experience annual bleaching. That’s based on the rate of warming we’re seeing now,” said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coordinator Derek Manzello.

A faded coral is not dead yet and can recover, but it may take several years. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with the microscopic algae that live within their tissues.

These algae are the main source of food for corals and give them their color. In case of stress, for example too high temperature, the algae leave the coral. They remain colorless and more susceptible to disease.

The World Coral Conservation Project, led by experts, works to prevent the extinction of endangered species. A special coral aquarium, called Noah’s Ark, can be found in a zoo in the Netherlands. Endangered coral species are propagated and raised there to one day be released into the wild. Divers place corals in a particular aquarium with the utmost care.

“Today we put two species of coral in our coral reef aquarium. One of them is Acropora, or deer horn coral. This is a relatively fast-growing species and one of the corals that has done very well so far,” said biologist Nienke Klerka.

The zoo has been breeding corals since 2022, allowing them to grow in a tightly controlled environment until they are large enough to be released into the wild.

Report a bug