ESSIC / CICS-MD faculty specialist at NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) Erick Geiger co-authored a UNESCO update report assessing the historical, recent, and projected heat stress and bleaching at natural World Heritage properties with coral reefs. CRW team member Dr. Scott Heron, an ESSIC / CICS-MD sub awardee, led the effort and the publication.
The report considered the implications of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, reflecting the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The analysis concluded that under this scenario, all 29 World Heritage-listed coral reefs would avoid annual severe heat stress this century, with only four sites exposed to twice-per-decade severe heat stress.
The findings emphasize the importance of achieving Paris Agreement goals to secure a sustainable future for the planet’s most iconic reef systems.
To read the UNESCO report, click here. To learn more about NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch, click to go to its home page.
To read past ESSIC highlights on the NOAA Coral Reef Watch, see here: “ESSIC / CICS-MD Scientists Co-Lead International Workshop” ; “ESSIC / CICS-MD Scientists Part of AMS Published Climate Report”.
