UPSC Articles
Third mass bleaching of Great Barrier Reef recorded
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Conservation; Environment
In News:
- Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most widespread coral bleaching on record.
- Record sea temperatures caused the third mass bleaching of the 2,300-kilometre reef system in just five years.
Key takeaways:
- For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef — the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors.
- The damage came as February brought the highest monthly sea temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef since Australia began keeping records in 1900.
Important value additions:
Bleaching
- Bleaching occurs when healthy corals become stressed by changes in ocean temperatures, causing them to expel algae living in their tissues which drains them of their vibrant colours.
- Bleaching was first seen on the reef in 1998 — at the time, the hottest year on record — but as temperature records continue to tumble its frequency has increased, giving coral less time to recover.
Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 8th April 2020
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Miscellaneous
World Health Day
- The World health day 2020 was celebrated recently with the theme of supporting nurses and midwives.
- The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).
- WHO chose the year 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” because of the contribution made by nurses and midwives in making the world a healthier place.
