Calm, windless weather drives coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef
The study examined nearly 30 years of weather data during the coral bleaching season and found that extended lulls in the trade winds, which normally help cool reef waters, coincide with spikes in ocean temperatures and significant coral stress, as stated by researchers from Monash University.
Published by the European Geosciences Union, the research revealed that large planetary atmospheric waves can lower atmospheric pressure and disrupt the trade winds, increasing the likelihood of doldrum conditions.
In particular, the loss of trade winds between December and April reduces natural ocean cooling, allowing heat to build up early in the summer and persist later into the season, creating stressful conditions for coral, researchers said.
“Trade winds act like nature's air conditioner for the reef,” said Lara Richards, lead researcher and PhD candidate at the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century. “When they fail, the ocean heats up quickly, and corals suffer,” she added, noting that understanding these patterns could help scientists better predict and mitigate future bleaching events.
The study also found that years marked by mass coral bleaching had more calm, clear days during the hottest months and fewer strong trade wind days, allowing heat to accumulate and persist, creating ideal conditions for marine heatwaves.
“When the reef suffers mass coral bleaching, doldrums happen more often and last longer,” said Professor Steven Siems from Monash University’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment. He explained that missing cooling events at the edges of the season can turn an ordinary year into a bleaching year.
The research calls for closer monitoring of atmospheric patterns, warning that as climate change continues to alter weather systems, the role of trade winds in protecting the reef will become increasingly critical.
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