Bleaching is not always fatal for corals. If water temperatures cool quickly enough the animals can recover. The problem: bleachings are lasting longer and coming in rapid-fire succession. This year’s is the fourth since 1998 and second in the last decade. It follows a devastating bleaching that stretched from 2014 to 2017 that left about 9 percent of the world’s corals dead.

The world's corals are bleaching fast - what it means for the ocean's future. (2024, July 16). Manila Standard, p. C1.