Great Barrier Reef: coral bleaching to worsen unless weather conditions change
Summary
Clearer skies, weak tides and above-average ocean temperatures are combining to create stressful conditions for corals along much of the world’s largest reef system. Concerns are rising that southern parts of the reef that escaped major bleaching in 2016 and 2017 may be hit in the coming weeks unless weather conditions change. Australia’s marine science agency said on Thursday it was set to deploy a second underwater glider to monitor water temperatures in the central and southern areas of the reef. Townsville-based Dr William Skirving, of the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (Nooa) Coral Reef Watch, told Guardian Australia: “Everything seems to be lining up. Craig Steinberg, an oceanographer at Aims, told Guardian Australia that two autonomous underwater gliders were being used to record water temperatures from the surface to a depth of 200 metres.