Marine cloud brightening may protect the world’s largest coral reef
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the world’s largest coral reef system, is normally filled with marine life. Unfortunately, climate change has had a major impact on the underwater ecosystem, which is now at risk of dying. The main problem is periods of extreme heat that create what’s known as coral ‘bleaching’. 1Drop sentence here. As a result, the normally colourful coral is weakened and turns white, and the sea creatures that depend on the ecosystem also start to move away or die.
A research team from Cambridge University is looking at a technique called ‘marine cloud brightening’. This involves spraying salty mist into the sky over the sea so that the clouds above it reflect more light. 2Drop sentence here. As a result, the technique may help to protect the reef from extreme summer temperatures.
Large-scale mass bleaching events are now occurring on a more frequent basis. There have been five in the last decade, compared to just two in the previous 30 years. It doesn’t take much for one to occur. 3Drop sentence here. Although coral can recover, it takes time, and bleaching is now happening more regularly. This means huge areas of the reef are already dying.
To prevent total loss of the Great Barrier Reef – and other reefs around the world – something has to be done. Although a short-term solution may be provided by marine cloud brightening, in the longer term the world needs to cut down on its use of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. 4Drop sentence here. This means that marine cloud brightening could provide an important stop gap.
During marine cloud brightening operations, a boat sprays a salty mist over affected sites along the reef for up to six hours. 5Drop sentence here. The work involves looking at the size of the tiny mist particles, in addition to how dense they are and what they’re composed of, in order to work out the extent of their cooling effects. Whilst doing this, the health of the reef itself can be checked out.
There are those who disagree with marine cloud brightening, however, because of the risks attached to it. But the researchers insist that using the technique on a temporary basis in a small area won’t have a negative impact on a wider scale. 6Drop sentence here. Although this analogy may not do much to reassure the sceptics, the research team’s initial findings are positive. If the technique proves effective, this may be a way to protect the reef and the creatures that depend on it in future.