Amid record ocean temperatures, coral bleaching¹ has been recorded in 62 countries and territories since February 2023, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric² Administration (NOAA) said -- an increase of nine from its warning in April.

Severe or prolonged heat stress leads to corals dying off, though there is a possibility for recovery if temperatures drop and other stressors such as overfishing and pollution are reduced.

The consequences of coral bleaching are far-reaching, affecting not only the health of oceans but also the livelihoods³ of people, food security and local economies.

The ongoing⁴ mass coral bleaching is the world's fourth on record, with three others occurring between 1998 to 2017.

Some 60.5 percent of the world's reefs have experienced bleach-level heat in the last 12 months, a record, according to NOAA.



The previous widespread global bleaching, which occurred from 2014 to 2017, retains the record for the greatest cumulative⁵ impact -- for now.