New Delhi, May 1 -- The world's coral reefs are in the grip of the most extensive bleaching event ever recorded, but scientists say it may take another year to fully grasp how much has been lost.

The ongoing fourth global coral bleaching event (GCBE4), which began in January 2023, has already surpassed the previous largest episode in scale. Scientists are still working to determine the full extent of coral mortality on a global scale. Coral bleaching can result in widespread coral death, disrupting reef ecosystems, threatening marine biodiversity, and affecting human communities that rely on reefs for food, tourism, and coastal protection.

According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, nearly 83.7 per ...