Sea surface temperature anomalies off the coast of eastern Australia on March 4, 2024, based on data from the Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution Sea Surface Temperature) project.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been hit by widespread coral bleaching caused by heat stress, government officials confirmed on March 8, 2024. This is theAerial surveys of over 300 reefs conducted by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which monitors the health of the coral, found bleaching in shallow water areas spanning two-thirds of the reef.
The map above shows sea surface temperature anomalies off the coast of eastern Australia on March 4, 2024. It is based on data from the, and international satellites, as well as ship and buoy observations. Rather than showing absolute temperature, the anomaly reflects the difference between the sea surface temperature on March 4, 2024, and the 2003-2014 average for that day.