This is what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is predicting. The culprit again is global warming; coral bleaching in the Barrier Reef is likely to become an annual occurrence by as early as 2030 due to warmer, more acidic seas.
Coral bleaching is a process by which corals become whiter in color. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxantheallae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term “bleached”.Coral bleaching is a vivid sign of corals responding to stress, primarily increased water temperatures. It takes at least a decade for coral to start recovering from severe bleaching.
Though ecologically vulnerable as of now the Great Barrier Reef accounts for $5.8 billion a year in associated tourist dollars and sustaining the equivalent of 63,000 full-time jobs. Its degradation will mean great loss for the tourism sector of the country
Other regions of Australia likely to be affected are the Kakadu National Park’s wetlands, the Murray-Darling Basin and alpine zones in southern Australia.
Australia will face problems such as drought and coastal damage, however some people will be more at risk than others, including farmers and some indigenous Australians.
Via: The Age