The previous record from the 2014 to 2017 mass bleaching affected just below 66% of the world’s reef area. Triggered by heat stress in warm oceans, coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the colourful algae living in their tissues. A bleached coral is not dead, but ocean temperatures need to cool off for any hope of recovery. “We’ve never had a coral bleaching event this big before.”In just the last six weeks, bleaching has been confirmed in the waters of Palau, Guam and Israel. What are we going to do about it?” said Emily Darling, who leads the Wildlife Conservation Society’s global coral reef conservation programme.

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Persons: Derek Manzello, Sirachai Arunrugstichai, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Manzello, “ We’ve, ”, Emily Darling, El Niño Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reuters, NOAA, Reef, Getty, ”, United Nations, Wildlife Conservation Locations: Trat, Thailand, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, Palau, Guam, Israel, Caribbean, South China, Colombia