Dr. Mike Emslie described the coral devastation as a 'graveyard of corals off Lizard Island,' highlighting dead standing colonies and an overwhelming prevalence of algae over corals.
AIMS' long-term monitoring revealed that more than a third of live hard coral has vanished in certain areas, marking the largest annual decline in 39 years of observation.
The report details a drop in coral cover across 12 reefs ranging from 11% to 72%, indicating a significant impact from last summer's mass bleaching and subsequent environmental stresses.
Emslie emphasized that the majority of coral mortality corresponded to climate change-induced heat stress, compounded by additional effects from summer cyclones and freshwater flooding.
Collection
[
|
...
]