Hawaii's Coral Reefs In Better Shape (Relatively) Than Most Others, But Bleaching Moving Rapidly There As Well
Jarrod Taylor has been diving in the waters off the coast of Honolulu for 20 years, and he has witnessed a seismic shift happening not just in Hawaii but across the world's oceans. Coral reefs — which are essential for maintaining marine life and biodiversity, as well as helping protect coastal communities from storms — are losing their colors and transforming in the warming waters fueled by changing climate. "It's sad and disheartening," Taylor said. "It was really colorful probably two years ago. And now it's all bleached white."
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On both land and sea, 2024 was the earth's hottest year on record, according to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. With the average ocean surface temperature hitting 70 degrees, the rising heat is speeding up coral deaths. It used to take years to kill a reef. Now, it can take weeks — sometimes days.
Compared to Hawaii, the decline of coral reefs is worse in the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands, according to Asner. The problem is most severe in the Caribbean and the state of Florida.
"It's heart wrenching to see these huge areas, expanses of amazing biological diversity, just go. It's like pulling the plug on a TV, and it's just static, just goes blank ... And the recovery is extraordinarily slow to zero," Asner said. Without healthy and thriving reefs, aquatic creatures lose their habitats and coastlines lose a natural seawall that can protect communities from storms — preventing billions of dollars in flood damage, according to NOAA.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-bleached-coral-reefs-climate-change/