The US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting another strong El Niño and has now announced the third global bleaching event. This a new phenomenon is caused by ocean warming – corals are unable to cope with today’s prolonged peaks in temperatures. They simply haven’t been able to adapt to the higher base temperatures of the ocean. Although reefs represent less than 0.1 percent of the world’s ocean floor, they help support approximately 25 percent of all marine species.
Panedia has been partnering with XL Catlin Seaview Survey for several years producing a wide imagery of the oceans worldwide and is now able to compare before and after images on several locations. The change is quite impressive and frightening.