5-18-18
Heat waves under the sea are becoming more and more common thanks to global warming and thanks to two heat waves off the coast of Australia the Great Barrier Reef has taken devastating damage. Heat waves such as these are so devastating because underwater animals base where they live heavily on what temperature the water is because some animals cannot live in colder or warmer water. A heat wave is not just any random streak of slightly warmer weather, scientists have defined a heat wave as 5 or more days and the water must be unusually warm for that region of the ocean.
The ocean has had an increase of heat waves of over 50% since 1920 and heat waves have become 30% more common. Global warming is not just a danger to humans and other animals that dwell on Earth but it's also a major concern for marine life that cannot survive in such warm waters. Over 1/3 of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been destroyed. Scientists aren't looking at this as all bad however because some scientists believe this just to be a test of natural selection and have said that the coral that has survived is much stronger than the coral that had died.
While it may seem like the marine world is doomed, hope is not lost, scientists have hope for a new kind of coral called staghorn coral, it is a very fast growing coral that could help rebuild what has already been lost because of these heat waves. Warm temperatures aren't going anywhere so it is crucial that species in the ocean continue to evolve and grow before becoming extinct.
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