Coral bleaching: what is it and why should we care?
Like the rest of the world, much of the Western Indian Ocean is currently experiencing coral bleaching. Coral bleaching reports have already been received in Seychelles, including Cousin Island Special Reserve. On April 15, the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that we are in the midst of the fourth global coral bleaching event. Mass events are declared when extensive bleaching occurs at a regional or global level. In this two-part series, Charlotte Dale, a member of Nature Seychelles’ Reef Rescuers explains what coral bleaching is, its impacts, and what scientists are doing in response to the current event.