Cause Of Death: Bleaching; 70% Of Japan's Coral Reef Is Found Dead, Survey Reveals

Reports with regard to the Great Barrier Reef being victimized by global warming is quite spreading. Because of global warming, the coral reef is destroyed due to coral bleaching. Now, almost three-quarters of Japan's largest coral reef has also been damaged.

The reef is located at the southern tip of Japan's archipelago. It is actually closer to Taiwan than it is in mainland Japan. It lies in between the islands of Iriomote-Jima and Ishigaki.

Over 70 Percent Of Japan's Largest Coral Reef Is Dead After Bleaching https://t.co/3SaEarppQr

— AltaSea (@AltaSeaOrg) January 20, 2017

However, the survey of the reef that covers 35 different locations has shown that almost 70.1 percent of the coral has died due to the changes of temperature, and it has experienced warming over the summer months of the previous year. The shallow water has been found to soar 2°C warmer than usual.

Thus, it is the average temperature between the months of June and August in Okinawa island chain in which the reef is located. It already topped 30°C for the first time since 1982 when it was first recorded.

Thus, it turned the reef a ghostly white. Unless the ocean temperatures drop back to within the right amount soon, the coral will die, according to IFL Science.

As follows, the researchers found that over 70 percent of the coral reef had already wilted down, at least 90 percent of some of the more popular dive sites was still bleached. It simply means that unless the ocean temperature drops soon, a wider part of the reef will die.

In line with this, Washington Post reported that for the time being, Japan's largest reef future is still uncertain. A member of the Environment Ministry's Nature Conservation Bureau, Mari Yamazaki, said in an e-mail that, "We do not know when the reef will recover."