New Delhi, April 23 -- Scientists have confirmed that the world's worst ongoing global coral bleaching event has now affected nearly 84 per cent of the world's coral reefs.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with the International Coral Reef Initiative on April 15, confirmed that the world is witnessing its fourth global bleaching event.

The bleaching-level heat stress has impacted 83.7 per cent of the planet's coral reef area and mass coral bleaching has been recorded in at least 83 countries and territories, the scientists said.

"The ongoing global coral bleaching event is the biggest to date. The previous record was during the 3rd global coral bleaching event, which occurred from 2014-2017, when 6...