Major Pacific coral bleaching may be worst in 20 years

Table corals provide an excellent hiding place for smaller fish. In some areas of the Marshall Islands, up to 100% have been killed by the spike in sea surface temperatures since September. Location: Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands. Photograph courtesy Remi Chauvin.

Scientists warn extreme sea temperatures could cause a “historic” coral reef die-off around the world over, following a massive coral bleaching already underway in the North Pacific. A huge swathe of the Pacific has already been affected, including the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Hawai‘i, and Kiribati. Some areas have recorded serious bleaching for the first time, and experts said the coral die-off could be the worst in nearly two decades. “The worst coral bleaching event ever recorded for the Marshall Islands has been occurring since mid-September,” noted Karl Fellenius, a Majuro-based marine scientist with the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (UHSG).

Read more about it in The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and Mashable.