At least 54 countries are experiencing mass coral bleaching as the climate crisis drives ocean temperatures to record-breaking levels

On a bi-weekly basis, the Allen Coral Atlas processes Sentinel-2 data for regions that NOAA's Coral Reef Watch daily monitoring program independently flags as potential bleaching events. Then, based on a baseline data of cool water temperatures, the tool detects and tracks whitening of coral reefs that indicates bleaching is underway.

Along coastlines from Australia to Kenya to Mexico, many of the world's colorful coral reefs have turned a ghostly white in what scientists said on Monday amounted to the fourth global bleaching event in the last three decades.

The world is currently experiencing a global coral bleaching event, according to NOAA scientists. This is the fourth global event on record and the second in the last 10 years.

Coral bleaching is evident across 73 percent of the famed marine park, as abnormally high ocean temperatures propel the world’s fourth mass bleaching event.