Dying Of Thirst In Australia

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Global Change, Climate Change, Biodiversity, Nature, Sustainability

Ed Hessler

The planet takes another sock in the eye.

In 2015, about 10% of Australia's vast mangrove forests in the Gulf of Carpentaria, died. The cause(s) were unknown at the time. 

Researchers in Australia have now determined the cause. It is nicely explained in this short BBC video (2m 20s).

Here are some numbers. 40 million trees died. The area was 76 square km (18780 acres) or 7600 ha.

It was the result of a severe El Nino and so is a climate-related loss (my underline). Climate change has been found to be an El Nino intensifier.

The proposed cure/preventative seems a monumental undertaking but mangrove forests as you will learn, are great banks for storing atmospheric carbon and, tragically, upon their death, great sources of atmospheric carbon.

Here is an explanation of El Nino and La Nina from the NOAA.