Megan Short, Carolyn Formichelli, Nicholas Kirrane

Maintaining the ecological diversity of the Great Barrier Reef is an issue that impacts all of humanity. In recent decades, scientists have become increasingly concerned with the devastating effects of coral bleaching. The 2016 coral bleaching event was the most extreme bleaching event to date, which resulted in approximately 90% of the northern reef experiencing bleaching. Aerial surveys, satellite imagery and in-situ studies have shown that the northern region of the GBR was most severely impacted by warming sea surface temperatures. The northern reef saw a loss of 30% of the live coral cover over a six-month period in 2016. Through extensive research, the 2016 bleaching event was studied via literature review and complementary data analysis. Data analysis was conducted by review of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. Particularly, the research team analyzed sea surface temperature data in effort to gain a better understanding of the influences of climate change. Specifically, the team analyzed more frequent and severe El Niño events, along with related local weather patterns on coral bleaching severity. The results of the research support the finding that the northern region of the Great Barrier Reef is under tremendous environmental stress. Although the long-term health of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened, researchers have identified several strategies scientists can employ to mitigate the immediate effects of warming sea surface temperatures and bleaching events. These include a thorough understanding of coral substrates and their algae symbionts, as well as studies aimed at understanding why some coral species seem to be more resilient than others.