Reefs in the Caribbean are among the world’s reefs that have been hit by a major episode of bleaching.

Scientists have confirmed that corals in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific are suffering from the worldwide bleaching episode that is said to be the worst on record as the warming Pacific current, El Nino, increases in strength.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned it may affect more than 38 per cent of the world’s reefs, and kill over 12,000 square kilometers of reefs.

Bleaching happens when corals under stress drive out the algae known as zooxanthellae that give them colour. If normal conditions return, the corals can recover, but the process can take decades, and if the stress continues, the corals can die.

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