Great Barrier Reef 'In Danger'- Temperatures in underwater ecosystem were hottest in 400 years over past decade, study finds

Temperatures in underwater ecosystem were hottest in 400 years over past decade, study finds. Researchers warn that the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef ecosystem and one of the most biodiverse, likely won't survive if planetary warming isn't stopped.

- By Suman Naishadham- Image: Sam McNeil The Associated Press file photo

Washington. Ocean temperatures in the Great Barrier Reef hit their highest level in 400 years over the past decade, according to researchers who warned that the reef likely won’t survive if planetary warming isn’t stopped.

During that time, between 2016 and 2024, the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and one of the most biodiverse, suffered mass coral bleaching events. That’s when water temperatures get too hot and coral expel the algae that provide them with color and food, and sometimes die. Earlier this year, aerial surveys of over 300 reefs in the system off Australia’s northeast coast found bleaching in shallow water areas spanning two-thirds of the reef, according to Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.