Great Barrier Reef In Even More Danger Due To Global Warming

Like people whose hairs turn white when they get stressed, corals too, lose their color when the environment is not up to par to the conditions they're supposed to live in. When temperatures reach two degrees above the monthly highs, the corals' food source -- algae -- become toxic. This forces the coral to kick those out. Doing so turns the coral white and sets it on a path of starvation in a process called bleaching.

Global warming brings about warmer temperatures to the waters and while they can survive, corals will have to exhaust themselves in a feat of endurance. New research revealed that the chance of corals surviving in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia depends on whether or not it can encounter "practice runs" of warm water. If not, effects of the warm temperature to the corals could be devastating.

According to National Geographic, the reef is home to thousands of species of fish and six out of seven marine turtle species. There are also 30 species of whales and dolphins swimming in the oceans. All these species could be lost to Australia's waters if conditions don't improve, and that does not account for the impact on humans yet.

Being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef is a tourism powerhouse, and it supports more or less 70,000 jobs and pulling in six billion dollars into Australia's economy.

Science Magazine noted that the current bleaching of the reef is the worst ever to strike due to El Niño, but climate change has been a villain in this for a long time. If bleaching of the reefs continue, we could lose most of the reef as early as the 2050s. However, if humankind does want to save it, we have to begin now. According to David Wachenfield of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, it is not tenable that we hesitate to act -- now is the time.