Marine heatwaves driven by climate change are causing mass coral bleaching events that devastate reef ecosystems, with profound welfare consequences for the billions of animals dependent on coral habitats.
Marine heatwaves create welfare crises that cascade through entire reef ecosystems. Individual corals die slowly under thermal stress over days to weeks - the extent of their suffering is unknown but the scale of destruction is vast. The downstream welfare effects are clearer: fish dependent on reef structure for shelter, spawning, and prey lose habitat, leading to starvation, predation exposure, and population collapse. Sea turtles that nest on beaches adjacent to affected reefs and feed on reef organisms face food limitation. The scale of suffering across billions of reef-associated animals during major bleaching events is difficult to fully comprehend. Climate action is the only systemic solution.