Q. Recently, which organizations confirmed the occurrence of the fourth global mass coral bleaching event in 2023-2024?
Answer:
NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch and ICRI
Notes: NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) confirmed the fourth global mass coral bleaching event (2023-2024). Coinciding with unprecedented ocean heat, 53 countries experienced bleaching across five ocean basins. The Indian Ocean, including Tanzania and Indonesia, was significantly affected. It's the second such event in a decade, with previous occurrences in 1998, 2010, and 2014-2017. Climate models predict annual bleaching by 2040-2050. CRW declares global bleaching only after confirming bleaching across all ocean basins.