Third mass bleaching of Great Barrier Reef recorded 

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

Image source: Click here 

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.