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Snapshot 2:Thu, Aug 8, 2024 12:11:31 PM GMT last edited by Haakan

Hottest oceans in 400 years endanger Great Barrier Reef, scientists say

Hottest oceans in 400 years endanger Great Barrier Reef, scientists say

Above: Mangareva island's barrier reef separates the lagoon from the ocean on January 21, 2023, in the Gambier archipelago, Pacific Ocean. Secretion of calcium creates the coral reef that separates the lagoon from the ocean. Image copyright: Alexis Rosenfeld / Contributor /

The Facts

  • A new study published in Nature on Thursday shows that water temperatures in and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have reached their highest levels in the past 400 years during the last decade. If the warming continues, the largest living ecosystem on Earth may not survive.

  • According to the report, human-caused climate change is the most probable cause of warmer waters. Helen McGregor, one of the co-authors, expressed her extreme concern about the reef, referring to the temperature increases as "unprecedented."


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