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‘Most of it was dead’: scientists discover one of Great Barrier Reef’s worst coral bleaching events

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Metaculus

"[C]limate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax."

"I believe in climate change caused by human beings. What I'm skeptical about is the glib notion that it means the end of the world as we know it."

"The clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging."

"There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change."

"The time for seeking global solutions [to climate change] is running out."

"The climate crisis is the existential threat. That's not hyperbole; it's a fact."

"[W]e are killing our planet."

Climate change is "above all, an existential crisis."

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges mankind faces."

"If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon."

"Humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast."

"We haven't yet exceeded the bounds of viable human civilisation, but we're getting close."

Is Climate Change an Existential Threat?

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.

Reuters

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."

France 24

Repeated bleaching events, which occur when water temperatures rise by more than one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), threaten the reef's fragile ecosystem. The heated temperature depletes the coral's nutrients and color.

Yahoo! News

The scientists utilized ship and satellite data, along with coral drilling, to analyze samples that offer insights into ocean temperature changes dating back to 1618. According to the data, 2024 was the hottest in at least 407 years, and 1.73 °C hotter on average for years before 1900.

Al Jazeera

The scientists conclude that without ambitious and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, "we will likely be witness to the demise of one of the Earth's natural wonders."

The report came out two weeks following the decision of the World Heritage Committee to exclude the reef, which is larger than Italy, from its list of endangered sites. The committee will reevaluate the matter in 2026.

Guardian #4416

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The scientists utilized ship and satellite data, along with coral drilling, to analyze samples that offer insights into ocean temperature changes dating back to 1618.

Al Jazeera #2588

Guardian #4156

There is a 50% chance global warming will be 2.88 degrees Celsius by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community

Metaculus2

Global Warming in 2100 over 1880 Baseline

Alexis Rosenfeld / Contributor /

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

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There is a 50% chance global warming will be 2.88 degrees Celsius by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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

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

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

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

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

The Controversies

Trump

Michaels

Harris

Sunak

Francis

Biden

Macron

Thunberg

Merkel

Attenborough

Guterres

Mann

Articles on this story

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