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New Zealand’s sea sponges are dying due to climate change

Shocking images have emerged from New Zealand showing millions of once velvety brown sea sponges bleached, the worst mass bleaching event of its kind on record, marine scientists say.

The alarming finding comes amid a continued rise in ocean temperatures, a trend that scientists say is predominantly due to fossil fuel emissions warming the planet.

New Zealand scientists discovered thousands of bleached sea sponges in May this year in cold waters off the country’s southwest coast.

Other findings showed the damage was much worse, with millions — possibly tens of millions — of sea sponges affected across the Fiordland region.

“This is one of the most abundant sponges in Fiordland and so it is a large-scale event,” said James Bell, professor of marine biology at the Victoria University of New Zealand.

Bell, who led the team responsible for detecting the initial bleaching event last month, told CNN that despite extensive mass bleaching, some sponges were still alive and consuming oxygen.

“This region was so abundant and rich in marine life and it was almost like a white graveyard when we discovered it, it was really devastating and traumatic,” he said.

“We can carry out experiments on board our boat to try to understand how sponges were affected by higher temperatures. Unfortunately, many of them were already very unhealthy and stressed.”

Marine sponges come in a variety of sizes, colors and textures and play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, providing food and refuge for other marine animals such as crabs, algae and fish.

“They pump large volumes of water and capture tiny particles, bacteria, plankton and algae, and they also recycle carbon on the seafloor,” Bell said.

“They also provide shelter for marine creatures and increase the areas of habitat on the seafloor. They are very underrated creatures.”

Oceans warming at record speed

Last year was the warmest on record for the world’s oceans for the third year in a row, putting enormous additional stress on marine ecosystems.

This year, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffered its sixth mass bleaching event. Studies have also confirmed coral bleaching at several reef sites.

The Great Barrier Reef is believed to have lost more than half of its coral population to climate change in the past three decades, according to studies.

Marine sponges such as corals are also heavily affected by extreme ocean temperatures and turn white as a stress response to very hot temperatures.

Sea creatures play an important role in marine ecosystems and scientists say their loss could affect millions of other marine animals.

Warming ocean temperatures are also affecting marine sponge populations in other parts of New Zealand, Bell noted. Tracks of dead sea sponges have been discovered in the northern coastal areas of the country. Some were found “melting” in the midst of a long wave of marine heat.

“The mass bleaching event again highlights how the oceans are changing dramatically due to global warming and climate change,” he said.

“It should serve as a wake-up call. We need climate action now, not in 10 or 15 years, because then it would be too late and we would have lost all ecosystems and species.”

Source: CNN Brasil

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