"The world’s coral reefs have been pushed into “uncharted territory” by the worst global bleaching¹ event on record that has now hit more than 80% of the planet’s reefs, scientists have warned.



Reefs in at least 82 countries and territories have been exposed to enough heat to turn corals white since the global event started in January 2023, the latest data from the US government’s Coral Reef Watch shows.



Coral reefs are known as the rainforests of the sea because of their high concentration of biodiversity that supports about a third of all marine² species and a billion people.



But record high ocean temperatures have spread like an underwater wildfire over corals across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, damaging and killing³ countless⁴ corals."