Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event

Ocean warming is increasing the frequency, extent, and severity of tropical-coral bleaching and mortality. During 2014-2017, marine heatwaves caused the Third Global Coral Bleaching Event. We analyze data from 15,066 reef surveys globally during 2014-2017. Across all surveyed reefs, 80% and 35% experienced moderate or greater (affecting >10% of corals) bleaching and mortality, respectively. We assess the global extent of coral bleaching and mortality by applying bleaching response curves calibrated from surveyed reefs to predict bleaching globally, based on comprehensive remote-sensing of heat stress. These models predict that 51% and 15% of the world's coral reefs suffered moderate or greater bleaching and mortality, respectively, during one or multiple years, surpassing damage from any prior global coral bleaching event. Our findings demonstrate that the impacts of ocean warming on coral reefs are accelerating, with the near certainty that ongoing warming will cause large-scale, possibly irreversible, degradation of these essential ecosystems. With heat stress levels during this event surpassing those observed previously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed more extreme Bleaching Alert levels that are now being used during the ongoing Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-02-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67506-w
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
127.66

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article

Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event

Jen Nie Lee, Mouchtadi Madi, Alison A. Monroe, Neal E. Cantin et al.
4 citations
Nature Communications
Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
127.66
article

Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event

Jen Nie Lee, Mouchtadi Madi, Alison A. Monroe, Neal E. Cantin, Chathurika Munasinghe, Christian Vaterlaus, James T. Kerry, Keisha D. Bahr, Georgia Coward, Hajime Kayanne, Eylem Elma, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Isabel Marques da Silva, Noel Dyer, April Burt, Kylie M. Smith, Hugo B. Harrison, Stephan Moldzio, H. E. Scott, Harriet Tyley, K. Baum Julia, Abigail Leadbeater, DE Williams, Mahsa Alidoostsalimi, William Skirving, Jay Fisch, Baruch Figueroa-Zavala, José Enrique Barraza, Vanessa McDonough, Andrew R. Halford, Bradley A. Weiler, Gal Eyal, Christophe Mason-Parker, Haruko Koike, K. Wilson Shaun, M. Pandolfi John, Steven J. Dalton, Thomas Dallison, Pedro M. Alcolado, Darren J. Coker, George Shedrawi, John A. Burt, Erick Geiger, Tai Chong Toh, David Obura, Mia O. Hoogenboom, Clinton B. Edwards, Parisa Alidoostsalimi, Linda Eggertsen, Chao‐Yang Kuo, Marianne Teoh, Nicole M. Ryan, Struan R. Smith, Jacqueline L. De La Cour, Victor Bonito, Gergely Torda, Rod Salm, Mariana Álvarez‐Noriega, Jesús Ernesto Arias‐González, Thayná Jeremias Mello, Pargol Ghavam Mostafavi, Jelvas Mwaura, J. Hobbs, Cory Walter, Thomas Mario DeCarlo, Manuel González‐Rivero, James Gilmour, Marissa F. Nuttall, Kevin Shimrone Moses, Denise Devotta, Alex Tso, Morgan S. Pratchett, Alex Tredinnick, Nishan Perera, Jennifer Stein, Tom Heintz, Courtney S. Couch, Stephanie Schopmeyer, M A Zelinda, Jean-Benoît Nicet, Simon D. Donner, Andrea Rivera-Sosa, Guilherme Ortigara Longo, Andrew G. Bauman, Ulrike Kloiber, Hazel A. Oxenford, Gregor Hodgson, Denise Perez, Jennifer Mihaly, Michael J. Childress, Ole Brodnicke, Pia Bessell‐Browne, Kah-Leng Cherh, Emma Kennedy, Mishal Gudka, Jennie Mallela, Meaghan E. Johnson, Randi Rotjan, Kathryn Berry, Melanie McField, Richard Suckoo, Minh Quang Thái, HIN BOO WEE, Ian R. Butler, Bigot Lionel, Judith C. Lang, Lyza Johnston, Angus Thompson, Peter Barnes, Jamie M. Caldwell, Si Tuan Vo, Ali M. Ussi, Rodrigo Leao De Moura, Aaron Israel Muñiz-Castillo, Bryan Costa, Terry P. Hughes, Derek P. Manzello, Thamasak Yeemin, Vardhan Patankar, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Laura E. Richardson, Brigitte Sommer, Jennifer E. Smith, Derta Prabuning, Tadashi Kimura, C. Mark Eakin, James Hewlett, Gang Liu, Whitney C. Hoot, Michelle A. Johnston, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, Benjamin L. Marsh, Kelley Anderson Tagarino, James Davis Reimer, Elena Gadoutsis, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Peter Houk, Takashi Nakamura, Mohammad Reza Shokri, David Burdick, Blake L. Spady, T. Shay Viehman, Tyler B. Smith, Thomas C. Adam, Claire L. Ross, M. James C. Crabbe, Antoine Gilbert, Ruy Kenji Papa de Kikuchi, Deron E. Burkepile, Maren Ziegler, Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Saleh A. S. Yahya, Helen Sykes, Michael D. Fox, Monica Montefalcone, K. Lindsey Kramer, Celine Miternique-Agathe, Ian Drysdale, Richard D. Evans, Cynthia Lewis, Stuart A. Sandin, Melina Soto, Christian R. Voolstra, Chancey MacDonald, Sean R. Connolly, Andrew H. Baird, Yannick Chancerelle, Chaolun Allen Chen, Andrea M. Gomez, William Precht, Alice Lawrence, K. Diraviya Raj, Marilia D. M. Oliveira, Andrew S. Hoey, Maria Beger, Douglas Fenner, Rosmin S. Ennis, Diego Lirman, Crawford Drury
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Ocean warming is increasing the frequency, extent, and severity of tropical-coral bleaching and mortality. During 2014-2017, marine heatwaves caused the Third Global Coral Bleaching Event. We analyze data from 15,066 reef surveys globally during 2014-2017. Across all surveyed reefs, 80% and 35% experienced moderate or greater (affecting >10% of corals) bleaching and mortality, respectively. We assess the global extent of coral bleaching and mortality by applying bleaching response curves calibrated from surveyed reefs to predict bleaching globally, based on comprehensive remote-sensing of heat stress. These models predict that 51% and 15% of the world's coral reefs suffered moderate or greater bleaching and mortality, respectively, during one or multiple years, surpassing damage from any prior global coral bleaching event. Our findings demonstrate that the impacts of ocean warming on coral reefs are accelerating, with the near certainty that ongoing warming will cause large-scale, possibly irreversible, degradation of these essential ecosystems. With heat stress levels during this event surpassing those observed previously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed more extreme Bleaching Alert levels that are now being used during the ongoing Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
University of New Caledonia (NC), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US), Boston University (US), University of Peradeniya (LK), Tulane University (US), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US), Australian National University (AU), New York University Abu Dhabi (AE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Fauna and Flora International (GB), The Nature Conservancy (US), CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere (AU), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (PA), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), The University of Sydney (AU), CAB International (GB), Nvidia (United Kingdom) (GB), National Park Service (US), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), University of Leeds (GB), Instituto Federal da Bahia (BR), Pacific Community (NC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AU), University of Hawaii System (US), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CA), Australian Research Council (AU), Zoological Survey of India (IN), Climate Central (US), Bar-Ilan University (IL), University of British Columbia (CA), Saint Leo University (US), University of Miami (US), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US), Ifremer (FR), University of California, Santa Barbara (US), University of Quintana Roo (MX), Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch (IR), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (MY), Bangor University (GB), The University of Queensland (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), National University of Singapore (SG), University of the Virgin Islands (VI), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (US), The University of Western Australia (AU), University of Dar es Salaam (TZ), University of Konstanz (DE), Florida International University (US), Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE), Princeton University (US), Nova Southeastern University (US), College of Charleston (US), University of Wollongong (AU), University of Victoria (CA), Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation (CW), Parks and Wildlife Service (AU), Coral Reef Alliance (US), Blackstone (United States) (US), Blue Ventures (GB), Mote Marine Laboratory (US), Bermuda College (BM), New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (AU), West Health (US), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), California Academy of Sciences (US), Lúrio University (MZ), Zanzibar University (TZ), University of Fiji (FJ), University of the Ryukyus (JP), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (BR), University of Bristol (GB), University of California San Diego (US), University of Oxford (GB), Indonesian Coral Reef Foundation (ID), Zanzibar School of Health (TZ), Smithsonian Marine Station (US), The Nature Conservancy (CO), Community Care (US), Finger Lakes Community College (US), Save Our Seas Foundation (CH), Global Science & Technology (United States) (US), Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (VE), Labex Corail (FR), Ocean Era (United States) (US), Palau International Coral Reef Center (PW), Taiwan Nurses Association (TW), Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (KE), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente (CU), Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement (PF), NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (US), ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (AU), Department of Land and Natural Resources (US), NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research (US), Instituto de Gastroenterología (CU), Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica (TW), American Samoa Government (AS), Eastern Research Group (United States) (US), NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (US), Blue Resources Trust (LK), Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (US), Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (TH), Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (AU), Blue Marine Foundation (GB), Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (ES), University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant (US), University of Seychelles (SC), NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (US), University of the West Indies (BB), Instrumental Polymer Technologies (United States) (US), DHI (DK), Institut Louis Malardé (PF), Instituto de Hematología e Inmunología (CU), Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Shahid Beheshti University (IR), University of Technology, Mauritius (MU), Ramkhamhaeng University (TH), University of Maryland, College Park (US), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VN), University of Reading (GB), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA), State University of Zanzibar (TZ), Island Conservation Society (SC), The University of Tokyo (JP), University of Guam (GU), Clemson University (US), University of Genoa (IT), NOAA National Geodetic Survey (US), James Cook University (AU), National University of Malaysia (MY), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Yokohama City University (JP), Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (IN), Technische Universität Braunschweig (DE), Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (US), Silliman University (PH)
Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Geographic Society, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Coral Reef Conservation Program
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Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
127.66
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