Experts say coral reef bleaching near record level globally because of ‘crazy’ ocean heat

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

Scientists say temperatures that have gone “crazy haywire” hot, especially in the Atlantic, are close to making the current global coral bleaching event the worst in history. It’s so bad that scientists are hoping for a few hurricanes to cool things off. Federal meteorologists and coral experts say more than three-fifths — almost 63% — of the world’s coral reefs are badly hurting from a bleaching event that started last year and is still going. That’s nearing the record of 65.7% in 2017. The world’s oceans have been record hot for 13 straight months.