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SYDNEY, Australia – Scientists have once again sounded the alarm on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, saying that in the 2030s it could see devastating mass discolorations every two years unless emissions greenhouse gases are significantly reduced. would actually mean the death certificate of one of the world's largest living marine structures, "said Martin Rice, interim managing director of the Climate Council, a publicly funded Australian research institute.
The Great Barrier Reef Earth, was hit in 2016 and 2017 by massive disappearances of coral – caused by extreme ocean temperatures – that erased much of its dazzling color. Scientists have said that even if the reef is partially restored, it will never look the same again.
Nearly one-third of the reef corals were killed and the damage radically changed its mix of coral species. In the 20th century, large-scale coral bleaching events occurred around the world every 27 years, on average, the Climate Council said in a report released on Thursday. Now, he said, the rate is once every six years.
If climate change is not reduced, this schedule will continue to accelerate, the report said. He warned that the Great Barrier Reef in particular could experience massive coral bleaching every two years by 2034, if current trends continue.
Rice said that he was on the Great Barrier Reef last week with a team of scientists, who found that there had been a noticeable drop in marine life since the beginning of the year. last year.
"This should serve as a serious warning signal" Scientists say intermittent underwater heat waves are intensifying, occurring more often and last longer due to climate change. and rising ocean temperatures increase risks for coral reefs.
Climate Council report follows April commitment by Australian government to spend tens of millions of dollars Many ecologists have called the plan inadequate and have declared that only a comprehensive solution to climate change would save it.
"If no drastic measures n & # 39; 39, is taken, the extreme bleaching of corals will be the new norm in the 2030s, "said Lesley Hughes, professor and ecologist
The reef brings many divers and others Australia, which has about 70,000 jobs and billions of dollars in tourism revenue a year.
The world's longest coral bleaching began in the North Atlantic In 2014, and in subsequent years, they spread throughout the reefs to Guam and American Samoa.
"When climate change is too fast for adaptation to continue, many things go away," said Sean Connolly. Professor at the Government-funded Center for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland. "That's what we are facing now."
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