Human-Caused Climate Change, Not El Niño, Drives Most Coral Bleaching Events – Research

The reef surrounding Namotu Island, Fiji, has experienced serious coral bleaching caused by increasing ocean temperatures. Credit: Beau Pilgrim / Climate Visualsby Kizito Makoye (dar es salaam, tanzania)Thursday, July 23, 2026Inter Press Service DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, July 23 (IPS) - Every morning, as the Indian Ocean retreats from the reef off Zanzibar’s Jambiani village, Chiku Chande steps into the knee-deep lagoon carrying bundles of seaweed seedlings. Years of farming these waters have taught her about every channel and coral outcrop. But lately, the corals that once glowed in brown and gold have become chalky white. “You don’t need anyone to tell you these changes,” Chande tells IPS. “We see it with our own eyes. The coral has lost its colour.”Like many families in Jambiani, the 48-year-old grandmother depends on the reef. It shelters her seaweed farm from crashing Indian Ocean waves, supports fish stocks and brings tourists to the village. As the corals bleach and slowly die, she worries about the future.Chande has watched the reef change year after year. Scientists say her observations mirror what is happening across the world’s tropical oceans.Scientists long regarded El ...