Ankara: Australia's Great Barrier Reef has experienced the largest annual decline in coral community due to climate change, according to a study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) on Wednesday. The study showed that the Great Barrier Reef has suffered its steepest annual decline in coral cover in two of the three regions observed in 39 years.

According to Anadolu Agency, the decrease in coral mortality was predominantly driven by climate change-induced extreme heat conditions. AIMS CEO Selina Stead emphasized that Western Australian reefs also faced the worst heat stress on record, marking the first time a single bleaching event has impacted nearly all coral reefs in Australia.

Stead warned about the increasing intensity of mass bleaching events over the years, noting that this was the second occurrence in a decade where the Reef experienced mass bleaching in two consecutive years. She highlighted that the findings provide strong evidence that ocean warming, driven by climate change, is causing substantial and rapid impacts on Reef coral communities.

Stead further stressed the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing local and regional pressures, and developing strategies to help reefs adapt to the changing climate as critical to the future of coral reefs.