Overview

• Scientists confirm that 84% of the world’s coral reefs have been affected by the most severe bleaching event on record, ongoing since January 2023.
• This marks the fourth global bleaching event since 1998 and surpasses the previous record set between 2014 and 2017, which impacted nearly 70% of reefs.
• Exceptionally high ocean temperatures, fueled by human-induced global warming, are the primary drivers of this unprecedented bleaching crisis.
• NOAA updated its Bleaching Alert Scale in 2023 to include three new levels, reflecting the increasing severity of heat stress on coral ecosystems.
• Coral reefs, which support one-third of marine life and contribute $9.8 trillion annually to the global economy, face long-term ecological and economic risks without urgent climate action.