Record El Niño threatens Great Barrier Reef with ecological shift
Researchers are worried about the impact the strongest-known El Niño will have on the Great Barrier Reef, and whether anything can be done to avert the World Heritage Area’s demise
A record-breaking El Niño is threatening the Great Barrier Reef with an ecological shift, potentially turning vast areas into seaweed-dominated systems instead of coral-dominated ones. During El Niño events, warmer ocean waters accumulate in the eastern and central Pacific, disrupting typical monsoon troughs that bring cooling clouds and rain to the reef region.
This disruption has led to severe coral bleaching events coinciding with past El Niños, such as the 2024 reef mortality. Coral bleaching occurs when reef waters become too warm for the algae living within coral tissues, causing them to expel the colorful algae and starve. Scientists warn that the reef is already experiencing bleaching events during neutral and La Niña periods, which usually provide cooler weather.
With the current record-breaking El Niño, the Great Barrier Reef faces a high risk of a fundamental ecosystem shift. Coral reefs may transition to an algal-dominated system, making it difficult for them to return to their previous coral-dominated state. Scientists emphasize that the reef's recovery will depend on temperature recovery, with a strong monsoon season potentially offering some relief.
Written by urgent.news from New Scientist's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
