Coral bleaching is a phenomenon where corals lose their primary food source and become more vulnerable to disease and death due to the expulsion of symbiotic algae i.e zooxanthallae. Causes include elevated sea temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing. Coral bleaching impacts marine life, ecosystems, coastal protection, and economics.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that 60.5% of the world's coral reefs have been affected by heat stress, triggering bleaching. Mass bleaching has been documented in at least 62 countries and territories, with 99.7% of Atlantic Ocean corals experiencing bleaching-level heat stress in the past years.
Coral bleaching is a significant threat to marine life and the environment, causing habitat loss, decreased biodiversity, altered food webs, and economic impacts on local communities. Coral reefs provide shelter, breeding grounds, and food for various marine species, and their decline can lead to reduced fish catches and increased food insecurity. Additionally, the loss of reef protection can increase insurance costs and damage from storms and erosion.
Short-term strategies include emergency reef protection, public awareness campaigns, and rapid response teams.
Long-term strategies include researching climate-resilient coral strains, enhancing legislation and policy, promoting community involvement, global collaboration, and exploring innovative approaches like coral restoration technologies. A multifaceted approach involving science, policy, community engagement, and international cooperation is needed to ensure coral reef health and resilience for future generations.
WORLDWIDE:-
UNESCO is the UN agency responsible for ocean sciences, leading the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development from 2021 to 2030. It coordinates global programs like ocean mapping, tsunami risk prevention, biosphere marine reserves, and scientific research projects. The UN established the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) in 2020. Allen Family Foundation, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, with the goal of mobilizing $625 million by 2030.
UNESCO has launched an emergency plan to boost the resilience of World Heritage-listed reefs, which are at risk of disappearing by the end of this century due to rapid bleaching. The plan, supported by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, aims to reduce local pressures such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction. The partnership between UNESCO and the UN-led private/public Global Fund for Coral Reefs will invest in climate resilience strategies across World Heritage-listed reefs in developing countries, focusing on reducing local drivers of degradation, strengthening sustainable marine protected areas, and supporting local communities. The plan builds on the successful Resilient Reefs Initiative launched by UNESCO and partners at the previous Our Ocean Summit in 2018, which has worked on four reef pilot sites designated as World Heritage located in Australia, Belize, France(New Caledonia) and Palau.The initiative demonstrates that local pressures can be reduced through active intervention and empowers local communities to adapt their income and livelihoods to changing realities.
INDIA:-
Coral mass bleaching, a natural phenomenon caused by climate change and increased sea surface temperature, has been reported in Lakshadweep, India. However, corals have resilience to recover if normal sea conditions are restored. The Department of Environment & Forest of Lakshadweep Administration has conducted coral transplantation activities to boost corals, while the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) provides coral bleaching alert services. The Indian government has taken steps to protect and conserve barrier reefs, fringing reefs, and atolls through regulatory and promotional measures. The Ministry of Environment, Forest Climate Change has initiated a long-term program on coral restoration, and the Central Marines Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is investigating the resilience potential of coral reefs in India. Coral bleaching is sporadic in India, with no major impact on local economies like tourism and fishermen.
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