As explain in the New York Article, “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists”, researchers have found devastation in coral around the world, specifically in the Kiritimati Island. As Kim Cobb, a marine scientists, reports there is substantial devastation even 30 feet underwater with “red-brown fuzz” covering the entire reef.

Scientists believe that the heat stress created by weather events have affected the coral reefs. While some may not know the importance of the reefs, coral provide food and shelter to many marine species. Consequently, this affects the human population as many marine species feed over a billion people. Also, millions of people depend on fishing as their main income around the world; In the Philippines alone, more than a million people are in the fishing industry.

Bleaching is a consequence of high heat and bright sunshine which recently has been out of control. Bleaching refers to the acceleration of the algae metabolism which can create toxins. Scientists explain that even if temperatures to drop and the corals recover, many will remain vulnerable to disease and if the temperatures continue to rise, the corals will starve to death.

Scientists recently found the largest bleaching at the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with only four sectiong of of 520 individual reefs with no signs of bleaching. Australia is not the only region affected, other dying reefs include Réunion, East Flores, Guam, and many more. As temperatures continue to increase, Kobb worries about the future of corals. Most recently, water temperatures were reported to be 10 degrees warmer than average which does not allow coral to recover.

Innis, Michelle. “Climate-Related Death of Coral Around World Alarms Scientists.” Http://www.nytimes.com/. N.p., 9 Apr. 2016. Web.