2024 Great Barrier Reef bleaching event is the most widespread and most severe mass bleaching and mortality event ever recorded on the Great Barrier Reef

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iamnotyourdog@reddit

So is the reef dead forever or can it bounce back?

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dead forever, but much more to the point, this reef is a minimum of 4x older than the human species and has experienced and survived every climatic shift in that time. If you needed a canary for this coal mine, here it is screaming "you're next!" to humanity. This isn't just one type of coral, either, this is an entire ecosystem being wiped into the same bin as the dinosaurs in ONE YEAR. Air raid sirens should be sounding along with public and global declarations of emergency. We're not likely to get another "warning" before it's half the US dead and cooked in 55C heat. Any missions of recovery, at this point, as well intentioned as they are, are a failure of basic logic. We're breeding coral indoors and then strapping the poor things to artificial scaffolding, ensuring death by exposure to the conditions we created. We'll stop using plastic straws cause of one coke head turtle, but we see the death of one of the living wonders of the world and think "meh, still a bit left alive... maybe it will come back" I'm not mocking you. This is how most people are coping with the unfolding tragedy they're complicit in, including scientists working to rebuild these reefs. We're a pathetic species with clearly nowhere near the brainpower for the problem we created... especially in the hands of the people with resources to invest in things like rebuilding coral reefs. Might as well be growing the coral to crucify them. Always look on the bright side of life!

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teamsaxon@reddit

Please someone tell me it will recover a million years from now with no more humans on earth. I need to soothe my broken heart 💔

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Formal_Contact_5177@reddit

We're more *Homo callidus* than *Homo sapiena*. This makes us extremely dangerous for the rest of Earth's living organisms.

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Slamtilt_Windmills@reddit

Bounce? no. Recover in our lifetime? also no. Recover? Yes

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cydril@reddit

It won't though! Sea temperature, pollution etc will only get worse.

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Bipogram@reddit

Oh, I don't know. Give it a few centuries and the shorter-lived isotopes will have decayed. Give it a kiloyear or two and the CO2 levels will abate after the spike of the Geocaust of the early third millenium. Give it a Myr, and there'll be barely a hint of that disruptive species. Give it a Gyr and the crabs will probably have settled the inner worlds and be contemplating probes to the closer stars.

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prawnspinch@reddit

Crab person huh? The otter people will beat you to death on their tummies.

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Bipogram@reddit

Otters *vs*. Crabs, duking it out in trans-lunar space with mass-drivers. The Wars Yet to Come.

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nuked24@reddit

Mass drivers will have been banned for being too destructive, lasers and other energy weapons only

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Bipogram@reddit

Good luck getting the crabs\* to adhere to that.  \* Heck, or the otters.

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Babelette@reddit

Geocaust. Fuck. You gave me such a profound feeling of dread. I'm literally at the beach right now (Mayan Riviera) looking at a tiny whimpy reef of fish but it's beautiful. I showed my kids and in the back of my mind I kept thinking this may be their only chance to see this before it's gone.

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Bipogram@reddit

Beauty is fleeting. Its impermanence is what makes it special. Glad that you've kin to share this with - breathe, let the Sun warm you via its battle with gravity, and we should both get off reddit. \-for a bit-

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butteredbuttbiscuit@reddit

Thank you. I took a month break off the site after a particularly traumatic time. Maybe I’m not ready.

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Bipogram@reddit

For the tumult of what's (perhaps) to come, I'm fairly certain *none* of us are adequately prepared. I'm going to have a nice hot cup of tea and do some painting. It won't change a damned thing, but I'll be happier. Hope that you can find some tranquility too.

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PintLasher@reddit

There are deep sea corals that can re-adapt to the shallows eventually, and they will, eventually

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diedlikeCambyses@reddit

Theoretically yes but it won't.

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Atxintemperateone66@reddit

Not dead yet. But it will be within 10 years. Global sea temperatures are only going to increase over the medium term.

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Potost@reddit

Depends on the severity. Coral expel their symbiotic algae (with chlorophyll) during heat stress, causing the bleaching. If the coral polyps and algae themselves survive the heat, they can reabsorb and get back to normal fairly quickly. But repeat and long duration heat make it more difficult and unlikely for less heat tolerant species of coral to recover.

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teamsaxon@reddit

I'm heartbroken over this. Not only because I never got to see the reef when it was alive.. But because all the beauty of this planet is being obliterated by selfish and ignorant humans who only care about this shit when it affects them personally.

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Natural_Trash772@reddit

Can someone explain what a reef bleaching is ?

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Patch_Ferntree@reddit

Corals have a symbiotic relationship with tiny organisms called zooxantheles. The coral provides a safe place for the zooxantheles to live and the zooxantheles provide nutrients to the corals through their waste elimination processes. They are also responsible for the different colours that corals take on. When corals are stressed, they expell the zooxantheles out into the water, causing the coral to turn white, known as "bleaching". The coral has lost its food production source and if it is not able to recover and reabsorb more zooxantheles, it dies. When this happens in a marine tank, it's possible to save the coral by rapidly altering the water parameters (temperature, light intensity) and keeping a close eye on the coral as it recovers. It's not possible to do that with 1000s of kilometres of wild reef, unfortunately :-/

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Natural_Trash772@reddit

Thanks for the response and the knowledge.

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Blood-PawWerewolf@reddit

Death

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PolyDipsoManiac@reddit

Might as well take away that world heritage site designation now

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dumnezero@reddit

World Failure Site

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leoseta@reddit

Can we get started with a "world disgrace site" list instead. 1. North Atlantic floating landfill 2. Great Barrier Skeleton Yard 3. Chernobyl human exclusion zone

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weirdfurrybanter@reddit

This is brilliant! Lots of candidates for those. May want to include oil companies in that list.

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PervyNonsense@reddit

i'm still not convinced about blaming the oil companies. If the blame stops with them, it forgives the rest of us for continuing to accept a paradigm that's a suicide pact. The responsibility for these tragedies is on every gram of fossil carbon released into the air in living memory.

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leoseta@reddit

A collective crime deserves a collective punishment

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weirdfurrybanter@reddit

I'll go a step further and blame our standard of living which would have never been possible without oil. For all the greenwashing that's done, we still overwhelmingly rely on oil.

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GardenRafters@reddit

Right? Add BPs Gulf of Mexico dead zone

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PervyNonsense@reddit

The loss of the kelp forests has to be on that list. It's recognized in NZ, I believe, with a plaque, but I agree that the growing list of crimes against existence we're collectively responsible for should be part of "Earth Day" which should now be a day of commemorating the death of the living planet.

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Branson175186@reddit

What does he mean it’s turning blue? I thought bleached coral was just white

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NyriasNeo@reddit

How many care about some coral when people are dying of heat waves, floods, wild fires and hurricanes? Talking about coral, which most people would never see in their lives, and have no impact to their lives, is a sure way for making people more apathetic about climate chance.

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nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit

You're downvoted but you're right. The average person has no knowledge of the GBR outside of Australians, and even then, Aussies are dealing with a housing crisis that takes the majority of their attention. It isn't that people don't care, it is that we have only so much time to care about so many things, and everyone is going to choose to care about what most immediately affects them. This is in part why things are hopeless. Lots of people years ago protested the building of a mine that would blow debris into the GBR, but the locals wanted it because it would bring them jobs and a way to secure themselves financially (so they thought).

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, nohopeforhomosapiens. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kyxjki5/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. > Rule 4: Keep information quality high. > Information quality must be kept high. More detailed information regarding our approaches to specific claims can be found on the [Misinformation & False Claims page](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/wiki/claims). > ---- > [Sixty-four thousand people depend on the Reef to put food on their tables and a roof over their heads](https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/learn/reef-facts), and that is just the direct jobs. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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Potost@reddit

No they aren't right. Reefs are vital for commercial fisheries because they are the breeding ground, hatchery and nursery for most commerical species. When reefs go, seafood goes and Asia goes hungry. It's as important as a dustbowl in the Midwest.

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nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit

The point isn't that the reefs aren't important, The point is that the average person can't afford to worry about everything. The average person doesn't think about the reefs. Of course the GBR is very important, but tell that to the parent struggling to meet rent after their hours were cut.

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Potost@reddit

We can argue about the failure of the education system and social safety net some other time, the op you said was right was not. This is not unimportant news.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

The Great Barrier Reef was common knowledge to kids growing up around me in the eastern United States in the 90’s. People would learn about it in the same way they would learn about the Amazon Rainforest and endangered pandas. The GBR bleaching is a complex issue, but pessimism and cynicism doesn’t help anything. I compare it to colony collapse disorder with honeybees: multiple causes, keystone species, high stakes. Since I currently work professionally with pollinators, I understand the factors with bees a lot more than I do about Australian coral. But I’ve also directly worked in conservation with the Florida reef and the issues are similar. For a layperson, the takeaway should be “passionate people are working tirelessly on solutions, they have some reasons for optimism, it’s not entirely a lost cause, but it needs massive industry-scale changes and popular support to work.” A wilting house plant needs water. It also needs “not-adding-pesticide” and “not letting the cat shred it.” Preventive action is just as important as prescriptive/medical action.

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666haywoodst@reddit

yea, OP, check your privilege, nobody cares about the…. Great Barrier Reef dying?

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nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit

That's not what they mean. There is a hierarchy of needs. No one cares about the great barrier reef unless they have the security of a roof over their head, a decent income and adequate food. The first 2 are becoming scarcer by the day.

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, nohopeforhomosapiens. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kyxjr13/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. > ---- > [Sixty-four thousand people depend on the Reef to put food on their tables and a roof over their heads](https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/learn/reef-facts), and that is just the direct jobs. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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KnowledgeMediocre404@reddit

Eating isn’t part of the base of the hierarchy of needs? A very significant part of the world uses the ocean as a main source of food, we’ll see billions starve when it dies.

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666haywoodst@reddit

what the fuck does that have to do with us discussing the subject on a subreddit? that’s my question

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nohopeforhomosapiens@reddit

Well, I think acknowledging that this massive event is not even on most people's mental radar is probably relevant to collapse. The average person doesn't notice or care that much about what they *think* is just a bunch of coral. Seems pretty collapse-relevant to me.

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666haywoodst@reddit

sure, that’s what you’re doing, and that’s reasonable. that is not what the person i was responding to was doing.

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ZoddTheImmortal97@reddit (OP)

The Great Barrier Reef is literally visible from space. It’s a significant biological ecosystem.

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666haywoodst@reddit

oh i know i was being sarcastic because i don’t know how else to respond to such a stupid comment.

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some_random_kaluna@reddit

Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other.

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knaugh@reddit

there certainly won't be any unintended ecological consequences people might want to be aware of

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hobofats@reddit

If the Amazon Rain Forest suddenly died, would you be worried? if the Nile River ran dry, would you be worried? honestly, your ignorance is astounding

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NyriasNeo@reddit

You lack of reading comprehension is astounding. I never said I do not care. I asked how many would care ... as it is well known that the masses are apathetic. Heck, how many even care enough to know? Otherwise, why would we be in this mess in the first place.

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, NyriasNeo. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kyxyl61/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, hobofats. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kyxou4x/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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Mc3lnosher@reddit

Think people are suffering now? Just watch as the biosphere continues to dissappear. We rely on nature, it's all connected. The ocean is the dominant force on our planet. 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from plankton. Ignore 2/3's of the planet at your peril.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

(I also posted this as a reply) The Great Barrier Reef was common knowledge to kids growing up around me in the eastern United States in the 90’s. People would learn about it in the same way they would learn about the Amazon Rainforest and endangered pandas. The GBR bleaching is a complex issue, but pessimism and cynicism doesn’t help anything. I compare it to colony collapse disorder with honeybees: multiple causes, keystone species, high stakes. Since I currently work professionally with pollinators, I understand the factors with bees a lot more than I do about Australian coral. But I’ve also directly worked in conservation with the Florida reef and the issues are similar. For a layperson, the takeaway should be “passionate people are working tirelessly on solutions, they have some reasons for optimism, it’s not entirely a lost cause, but it needs massive industry-scale changes and popular support to work.” A wilting house plant needs water. It also needs “not-adding-pesticide” and “not letting the cat shred it.” Preventive action is just as important as prescriptive/medical action.

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Frosti11icus@reddit

Things like the reef or honey bees are weirdly one of the few things we as humans are able to cooperate on and work on solutions for.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

Definitely. In Florida, the three biggest reef issues were ocean acidification, ocean warming, and pollution in stormwater runoff. We focused on what we could control, the stormwater runoff. Conveying runoff into temporary flood control ponds from parking lots and roadsides (dry ponds or retention ponds) provides treatment. Grass and semi-aquatic plants pull pollutants out of the water and what discharges into the streams (and then rivers) is much cleaner. It also helps with thermal pollution. And public outreach and education goes a long way—if you mow your privately owned stormwater pond and make sure the pipes aren’t blocked, it will actually work and not overflow dirty water as soon as rain hits.

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PervyNonsense@reddit

Are we really patting ourselves on the back for not dumping poison, untreated, into the ocean? I'm beginning to feel real contempt for people who search for a silver lining in the crises they're complicit in. If people can actually feel guilt for the fuel they burn as releasing death into the world, there's a chance they'll alter their behavior. As long as someone is there to give them some sense that they're not the problem, they'll keep taking their cruises and flying around the planet. It's disappointing we can't acknowledge these reef recovery efforts as feel-good projects that are ultimately just throwing more life into the wood chipper. Well intentioned and by great people, but ultimately false hope that perpetuates a murderous and suicidal paradigm.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

Do you think I don’t operate with supreme pessimism through all my ecological duties? It’s moments of blinding optimism which keep me going. It’s also what I see as my duty to inspire people to believe that change is possible. Sorry that you think what I’m doing to save keystone species is a feel-good puff piece to pat myself on the back. Fuck off you useless cynic.

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fleece19900@reddit

And despite all your efforts the reefs continue to die

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, fleece19900. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kz0n715/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

That’s true; but cleaner and cooler runoff helps more than just coral. I can’t control global warming, but if there’s a coral subspecies which adapts to hotter waters, it hopefully won’t be killed by pollutants we’re filtering out of the water.

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collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, whenitsTimeyoullknow. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/-/kz0iajj/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

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KnowledgeMediocre404@reddit

“Were”? All those problems still exist and are destroying Florida reefs.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

“Were” when I was actively doing the work and figuring out where to apply the energies. You’re right that they’re still issues.

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PervyNonsense@reddit

I completely disagree. I think optimism and hope are a reward for making changes that allow for a different outcome, something we are devoutly opposed to. Throwing more coral into the water might as well be breeding them for the purpose of crucifixion. It's not cynicism, it's reality screaming back at you that no matter how you look at this situation, we're the bad guys and the way we live is an act of violence against all life, humanity included. Until we can accept that ground truth, this is some serious "jesus, take the wheel" bs.

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whenitsTimeyoullknow@reddit

Good luck with that. I’ll keep fighting while there’s still a chance.

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warren_55@reddit

The Great Barrier Reef bleaching is caused by marine heat waves. It doesn't matter what else we fix, if the world keeps heating the GBR will bleach and ultimately die.

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causeiwanted2@reddit

Does anyone know if we have any testing that can indicate historical bleaching or recovery periods? Like how we can test ice core samples or carbon dating?

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PervyNonsense@reddit

This hasn't happened in the history of our species walking the earth. Everything that's suffering now, due to our apparently intentional lack of fucks to give about the cost of our behavior, WILL go extinct, including our species. Either we die first or we life to hear the earth go silent through the wails of all species suffering on a planet they have no adaptation to survive.

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brezhnervous@reddit

> Either we die first I certainly hope so

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brezhnervous@reddit

And guess how much attention this will get in Australia lol

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BigJSunshine@reddit

But hey, its cool, my boomer parents got to take a fccking cruise ship to see the GBR before all this, and contribute to its destruction… /s

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letmehaveathink@reddit

Ok stop the ride now please, I want to get off

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Slamtilt_Windmills@reddit

But is the economy OK? /s

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henrythe13th@reddit

Are we maximizing resource exploitation for economic growth at all costs?

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Your_Moms_Box@reddit

What about the capital owners who operate the tourism economy?

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Bumblebeeburger@reddit

Don't think there won't be apocalypse tourism

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PervyNonsense@reddit

A dead reef is about the most overwhelmingly grim thing a person can witness if they have even the slightest inclination of what it's supposed to look like. For a diver that isn't a psychopath, to someone that has no relationship with the ocean, it's a bit like going to the morgue to identify a body... by waking up being covered in your loved one's skin on the cold metal table. If youre not prepared to see this, it will haunt you. No one wants to see this or they'd have to face the consequences of their actions. Glaciers, sure, but no one will visit once they're melted. This is the sort of experience that would make it very hard to board a plane back home... or ever again, if you really understand what you're seeing.

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Bumblebeeburger@reddit

It would seem pretty ominous come to think of it.

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Your_Moms_Box@reddit

Man I wanna do an apocalypse dune buggy ride in the sands of Las Vegas when I am able to leave my Amazon work pod

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senselesssapien@reddit

There's still fish out there! Gotta catch 'em all!!

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PervyNonsense@reddit

for now... without the GBR, I expect that situation to change rapidly

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Meshd@reddit

Coral will probably become an investment or collectors item for the rich, as each species gets scarcer and its perceived value goes up. The economy will keep chugging on and the billionaires will be fine for now,dont panic.

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MyRecklessHabit@reddit

Why the /s? Anti-American as hell. 🇺🇸

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Random-Name-1823@reddit

I mean, what is coral anyway, and why can't it be white, is it really such a big problem if it isn't a bunch of fancy colors?

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PervyNonsense@reddit

I mean, what is a human anyway, and why can't they be skeletons?

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Random-Name-1823@reddit

The clinkety clinkety sounds would be fun, plus we'd save on food.

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Frosti11icus@reddit

Coral is made up of creatures called polyps. They get their color from algae, when there's a bleaching event, the coral are expelling all the algae from their tissues due to stress from global warming. Once they are "bleached" they no longer have a food source (the algae). Without coral thousands of species will go extinct, the coral is like a forest for many species, when it's bleached it turns into a desert. Coral also protects the coastline from storms, waves, and erosion.

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Potost@reddit

Reefs are vital for commercial fisheries because they are the breeding ground, hatchery and nursery for most commerical species. When reefs go, seafood goes and Asia goes hungry. It's as important as a dustbowl in the Midwest.

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Formal_Contact_5177@reddit

The world's largest crime scene.

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FitBenefit4836@reddit

Surprised this isn't bigger news, we all knew it was coming but still, GBR dying off will have huge implications for ocean health.

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PervyNonsense@reddit

People seem to only respond to single organisms being caught in nets or with straws up their nose. When they hear about the suffering to death of trillions of lifeforms and counting, it lands flat.

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DynastyZealot@reddit

I haven't snorkeled a lot in life - I got to enjoy a few weeks in Hawaii in the early 90s, and then some time in the Philippines a couple years ago. The bleaching is so impactful! There's all these beautiful, colorful fish that have evolved to blend in with colorful reefs but are now stuck in worlds of grey. My niece was fascinated with everything she saw and quickly got tired of me explaining how much better everything looked back in the old days. I feel like if everyone could witness the stark difference thirty years has made on ocean life, we'd treat it very differently.

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mulcheverything@reddit

I went snorkeling in Kauai as a kid in the late 90’s. I remember getting nibbled on by hundreds of colorful fish. It was an explosion. I went back three years ago and everything was gray and brown. I got out of the water and cried my eyes out. *it was shocking*

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PervyNonsense@reddit

I've shared this experience and share your pain. I watched it happen over the course of a few years in an ocean I used to visit every summer to bathe in the light of the life that surrounded me. To see it dead and the water, hollow, broke me in a way I'll never recover. Then to realize it's the air - the shared atmosphere of the planet - that's the pressure causing all this death (mostly in the form of starving to death; suffering), and that life is being descended upon by a monster each of us feeds from every exhaust pipe we're connected to... it's heartbeaking and infuriating we can't find it in ourselves to say no, no matter the personal cost. Nothing humans accomplished with the oil we burned in the last 50 years could ever come close to the beauty, complexity, and sophisticated "technology" of reefs and other systems we're directly poisoning. It might as well be nerve gas that pushes us down the road. We turned a biosphere into separate and isolated bubbles of life that are constantly shrinking, as we put the light out on our own planet... shockingly comforted by the idea that life will return even if it takes a million years and is as alien to us as the world of the dinosaurs. I cried in the sand after screaming underwater. We turned the origin of life into a bath tub of lifelessness, and we did it in living memory so we could have more than anyone before us. All our memories die with us, but without us embarking on this grubby little experiment, the systems we destroy(ed) would be functionally immortal. Life's only real weakness is the carbon balance and an imbalance in it. A 50% imbalance... might as well be a doomsday device we intentionally set.

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diedlikeCambyses@reddit

Yes this. We are definitely in a situation where people view the world as a snapshot in time. I remember hearing about how amazing it was in the 50,s imagine that! Here in Australia we've had 5 bleaches in 8 years. The reef will die.

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PervyNonsense@reddit

then imagine how it was in the 4 million plus years before the 50's, that is, pretty close to where it was in the 50's. So few people over such a short time have caused so much damage to get so little in return. This should be enough to stop people from flying, driving, and heating their homes above freezing... it never will be, but the scale of the suffering that happened in silence and continues, constantly, in every ecosystem around this planet, is something that should shake every human being to our core. There are people alive who saw a reef of prehistoric composition, and, in that incredibly brief of planetary moments that is a human lifetime, those same people burned it all down. Through the lack of horror in the response to these sorts of things, in comparison to one turtle with a straw up its nose, I'm glad we're only years away from extinction ourselves. Humans, especially the ones with money, have no intention of doing more than buying an EV and acting like that's a service to the planet. good riddance to us all.

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diedlikeCambyses@reddit

Amen. And yes, I just call that our phantasmagoria.

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Main-Celebration2632@reddit

\*\*Everything-Is-Fine-Meme\*\*

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Floriaskan@reddit

[Mood after learning this](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0c267f72-7c1e-4b6d-acac-36568fdde2cd/d9m29rz-4b76ef71-1ae5-403d-b8e5-2f13adfc89d6.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBjMjY3ZjcyLTdjMWUtNGI2ZC1hY2FjLTM2NTY4ZmRkZTJjZFwvZDltMjlyei00Yjc2ZWY3MS0xYWU1LTQwM2QtYjhlNS0yZjEzYWRmYzg5ZDYuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.cOP-G_mkN3Ml9M_IkqVEuV2Qy1dUtVm8QZMxK8Hw5MA)

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StatementBot@reddit

The following submission statement was provided by /u/ZoddTheImmortal97: --- The Degree Heating Week (DHW) indicator is an estimate of thermal stress of corals and a strong predictor of coral bleaching. Link to tweet: https://x.com/profterryhughes/status/1777823345561800760?s=46&t=kz07wc5J1tv3zjHtJmCTCA --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/1c0mbzs/2024_great_barrier_reef_bleaching_event_is_the/kyx8iko/

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ZoddTheImmortal97@reddit (OP)

The Degree Heating Week (DHW) indicator is an estimate of thermal stress of corals and a strong predictor of coral bleaching.

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