Why in the News?
A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (December 10, 2025) reports unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality at One Tree Reef (OTR) in the southern Great Barrier Reef, driven by extreme heat and rapid spread of black band disease (BBD).
Background
- Coral reefs have shaped Earth’s climate for 250 million years.
- OTR has not witnessed bleaching of this severity for decades.
- The impacted species, Goniopora (flowerpot or daisy corals), typically live in lagoons and turbid reefs and are known for thermal tolerance, making their mass mortality alarming.
Why Black Band Disease Spread at OTR
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| Consider the following statements: (2018)
1. Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters. 2. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines. 3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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