Panama City (AFP) – Half of the planet's coral reefs suffered significant damage from a heat wave recorded almost a decade ago, according to research revealed this Tuesday, which warns that a similar, more serious phenomenon is currently developing.

First modification: 02/11/2026 - 13:45

Corals are invertebrate animals that form reefs, colorful multiform structures where marine species live.

Scientists have warned that rising sea temperatures caused by human activity threaten to kill them en masse through bleaching, a phenomenon of coral deterioration that causes them to lose the algae inside and appear transparent or white and be more vulnerable.

A study by several organizations, including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), based in Panama, warns that "half of the world's coral reefs" suffered "significant bleaching" due to a heat wave recorded between 2014 and 2017.

Experts estimate that "more than 50% of coral reefs around the world suffered significant bleaching and 15% experienced significant mortality," says a statement from the Smithsonian.

Research warns that bleaching causes reduced growth, lower reproduction and even the death of the reef, which in turn affects tourism, fishing, food supply and coastal protection.

"We are seeing that reefs do not have time to recover properly before the next bleaching event occurs," said Scott Heron of James Cook University in Australia, quoted in the report.

"Our results show that the third global bleaching event was by far the most severe and widespread on record," said Sean Connolly, a Smithsonian scientist.

However, the reefs "are currently suffering from a fourth, even more serious event, which began in early 2023," Connolly warned.

The study is based on the analysis of 15,000 reefs in 41 countries. The scientists combined satellite images of ocean water temperatures with observations of reefs obtained through underwater and aerial surveys.

"This is the most geographically broad analysis of coral bleaching studies to date," Connolly noted.

The earth has lost 50% of its corals in the last 30 years, according to STRI.

© 2026 AFP

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