The Great Barrier Reef just saw 2016 become its worst year ever

The Great Barrier Reef, a massive natural coral reef that is located off the coast of Australia, has been declining in health for years and 2016 is now its worst year yet. Earlier this year, reports suggested that 35 percent of the coral in the northern and central areas of the Reef is either dead or dying. New reports show that things are worse than anticipated with some stretches losing up to 90 percent of their coral. This phenomenon, called coral bleaching, occurs when high water temperatures persist for an extended period of time. The coral then releases zooxanthella, an algae that lives in its tissue, which it needs to survive. The ARC Centre of Excellence For Coral Reef Studies says that the increase in water temperature is due to carbon emissions and that "massive coral bleaching events could become an annual occurrence within two decades."