Calm winds and weak monsoons put coral at higher thermal stress
Doldrums suppress ocean cooling. El Niño weakens monsoons. Together they raise reef bleaching risk as warming oceans push coral to its limit.
A new study shows how atmospheric patterns called doldrums are linked to coral bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef. Doldrums are areas of calm winds and reduced cloud cover.
When they stay in one place, they suppress the cooling systems that keep ocean temperatures stable. El Niño periods weaken monsoons and winds, which also raises temperatures.
Global warming has already pushed the reef closer to its thermal limit. In 2022 a mass bleaching event happened during a La Niña phase, showing the reef no longer needs El Niño alone to bleach.
Researchers say the current El Niño is tracking to be the largest on record.
- 2022, during La Niña phase
- Last mass bleaching
- Tracking to be largest on record
- Current El Niño status
Why it mattersGlobal warming and changes in weather patterns are pushing the Great Barrier Reef closer to its thermal limit. The combination of these pressures raises the threat of bleaching events.
AustraliaAustralia's Great Barrier Reef faces elevated risk of a major bleaching event this summer as atmospheric conditions align with the strongest El Niño on record.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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