FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The world’s coral reefs are undergoing the fourth and largest global bleaching event in history, according to NOAA data.
Between January 2023 and April 2025, bleaching-level heat stress has affected 83.7% of coral reef areas across 83 countries and territories.
This surpasses the third bleaching event from 2014 to 2017, which impacted 68.2% of reefs.
Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures expel algae from coral tissues.
While recovery is possible if stress is reduced, the scale of this event underscores urgent concerns for reef ecosystems.