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

C C. Mark Eakin S Scott F. Heron S Sean R. Connolly (College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University) D Denise A. Devotta G Gang Liu E Erick F. Geiger J Jacqueline L. De La Cour A Andrea M. Gomez W William J. Skirving A Andrew H. Baird N Neal E. Cantin C Courtney S. Couch S Simon D. Donner J James Gilmour M Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero M Mishal Gudka H Hugo B. Harrison G Gregor Hodgson O Ove Hoegh-Guldberg A Andrew S. Hoey (College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University) M Mia O. Hoogenboom T Terry P. Hughes M Meaghan E. Johnson J James T. Kerry T Tadashi Kimura J Jennifer Mihaly A Aarón Israel Muñiz-Castillo D David O. Obura M Morgan S. Pratchett A Andrea Rivera-Sosa C Claire L. Ross J Jennifer Stein A Angus Thompson G Gergely Torda T T. Shay Viehman C Cory S. Walter S Shaun Wilson B Benjamin L. Marsh B Blake L. Spady N Noel Dyer T Thomas C. Adam P Pedro Alcolado M Mahsa Alidoostsalimi P Parisa Alidoostsalimi L Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip M Mariana Alvarez-Noriega J Jesús Ernesto Arias-González K Keisha D. Bahr P Peter Barnes J José Enrique Barraza Sandoval J Julia K. Baum A Andrew G. Bauman M Maria Beger (School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds) K Kathryn Berry P Pia Bessell-Browne L Lionel Bigot V Victor Bonito O Ole B. Brodnicke D David Burdick D Deron E. Burkepile A April J. Burt J John A. Burt I Ian R. Butler J Jamie M. Caldwell Y Yannick Chancerelle C Chaolun Allen Chen K Kah-Leng Cherh M Michael J. Childress D Darren J. Coker B Bryan Costa G Georgia Coward M M. James C. Crabbe T Thomas Dallison S Steven Dalton T Thomas M. DeCarlo C Crawford Drury I Ian Drysdale C Clinton B. Edwards L Linda Eggertsen E Eylem Elma R Rosmin S. Ennis R Richard D. Evans G Gal Eyal D Douglas Fenner B Baruch Figueroa-Zavala J Jay Fisch M Michael D. Fox E Elena Gadoutsis A Antoine Gilbert A Andrew R. Halford T Tom Heintz J James Hewlett J Jean-Paul A. Hobbs W Whitney C. Hoot P Peter Houk L Lyza Johnston M Michelle A. Johnston H Hajime Kayanne E Emma V. Kennedy R Ruy Kenji Papa de Kikuchi U Ulrike Kloiber H Haruko Koike K K. Lindsey Kramer C Chao-Yang Kuo J Judith Lang A Alice Lawrence A Abigail Leadbeater Z Zelinda M. A. N. Leão J Jen Nie Lee C Cynthia Lewis D Diego Lirman G Guilherme Ortigara Longo C Chancey MacDonald J Jennie Mallela S Sangeeta Mangubhai I Isabel Marques da Silva C Christophe Mason-Parker V Vanessa McDonough M Melanie McField T Thayná Mello C Celine Miternique-Agathe M Mouchtadi Madi S Stephan Moldzio A Alison A. Monroe M Monica Montefalcone K Kevin S. Moses P Pargol G. Mostafavi R Rodrigo Leão de Moura C Chathurika S. Munasinghe J Jelvas Mwaura T Takashi Nakamura (RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan) J Jean-Benoit Nicet M Marissa F. Nuttall M Marilia D. M. Oliveira H Hazel A. Oxenford J John M. Pandolfi V Vardhan Patankar D Denise Perez N Nishan Perera D Derta Prabuning W William Precht K K. Diraviya Raj J James D. Reimer L Laura E. Richardson R Randi Rotjan N Nicole Ryan R Rod Salm S Stuart A. Sandin S Stephanie Schopmeyer G George Shedrawi M Mohammad Reza Shokri J Jennifer E. Smith K Kylie Smith S Struan R. Smith T Tyler B. Smith B Brigitte Sommer M Melina Soto R Richard Suckoo H Helen Sykes K Kelley Anderson Tagarino M Marianne Teoh M Minh Quang Thai T Tai Chong Toh A Alex Tredinnick A Alex Tso H Harriet Tyley A Ali M. Ussi B Bernardo Vargas-Angel C Christian Vaterlaus M Mark J. A. Vermeij S Si Tuan Vo C Christian R. Voolstra H Hin Boo Wee B Bradley A. Weiler D Dana E. Williams S Saleh A. S. Yahya T Thamasak Yeemin M Maren Ziegler D Derek P. Manzello

Abstract

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.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 17, Issue 1
Published February 10, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (179)

C

C. Mark Eakin

S

Scott F. Heron

S

Sean R. Connolly

College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University

D

Denise A. Devotta

G

Gang Liu

E

Erick F. Geiger

J

Jacqueline L. De La Cour

A

Andrea M. Gomez

W

William J. Skirving

A

Andrew H. Baird

N

Neal E. Cantin

C

Courtney S. Couch

S

Simon D. Donner

J

James Gilmour

M

Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero

M

Mishal Gudka

H

Hugo B. Harrison

G

Gregor Hodgson

O

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg

A

Andrew S. Hoey

College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University

M

Mia O. Hoogenboom

T

Terry P. Hughes

M

Meaghan E. Johnson

J

James T. Kerry

T

Tadashi Kimura

J

Jennifer Mihaly

A

Aarón Israel Muñiz-Castillo

D

David O. Obura

M

Morgan S. Pratchett

A

Andrea Rivera-Sosa

C

Claire L. Ross

J

Jennifer Stein

A

Angus Thompson

G

Gergely Torda

T

T. Shay Viehman

C

Cory S. Walter

S

Shaun Wilson

B

Benjamin L. Marsh

B

Blake L. Spady

N

Noel Dyer

T

Thomas C. Adam

P

Pedro Alcolado

M

Mahsa Alidoostsalimi

P

Parisa Alidoostsalimi

L

Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip

M

Mariana Alvarez-Noriega

J

Jesús Ernesto Arias-González

K

Keisha D. Bahr

P

Peter Barnes

J

José Enrique Barraza Sandoval

J

Julia K. Baum

A

Andrew G. Bauman

M

Maria Beger

School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds

K

Kathryn Berry

P

Pia Bessell-Browne

L

Lionel Bigot

V

Victor Bonito

O

Ole B. Brodnicke

D

David Burdick

D

Deron E. Burkepile

A

April J. Burt

J

John A. Burt

I

Ian R. Butler

J

Jamie M. Caldwell

Y

Yannick Chancerelle

C

Chaolun Allen Chen

K

Kah-Leng Cherh

M

Michael J. Childress

D

Darren J. Coker

B

Bryan Costa

G

Georgia Coward

M

M. James C. Crabbe

T

Thomas Dallison

S

Steven Dalton

T

Thomas M. DeCarlo

C

Crawford Drury

I

Ian Drysdale

C

Clinton B. Edwards

L

Linda Eggertsen

E

Eylem Elma

R

Rosmin S. Ennis

R

Richard D. Evans

G

Gal Eyal

D

Douglas Fenner

B

Baruch Figueroa-Zavala

J

Jay Fisch

M

Michael D. Fox

E

Elena Gadoutsis

A

Antoine Gilbert

A

Andrew R. Halford

T

Tom Heintz

J

James Hewlett

J

Jean-Paul A. Hobbs

W

Whitney C. Hoot

P

Peter Houk

L

Lyza Johnston

M

Michelle A. Johnston

H

Hajime Kayanne

E

Emma V. Kennedy

R

Ruy Kenji Papa de Kikuchi

U

Ulrike Kloiber

H

Haruko Koike

K

K. Lindsey Kramer

C

Chao-Yang Kuo

J

Judith Lang

A

Alice Lawrence

A

Abigail Leadbeater

Z

Zelinda M. A. N. Leão

J

Jen Nie Lee

C

Cynthia Lewis

D

Diego Lirman

G

Guilherme Ortigara Longo

C

Chancey MacDonald

J

Jennie Mallela

S

Sangeeta Mangubhai

I

Isabel Marques da Silva

C

Christophe Mason-Parker

V

Vanessa McDonough

M

Melanie McField

T

Thayná Mello

C

Celine Miternique-Agathe

M

Mouchtadi Madi

S

Stephan Moldzio

A

Alison A. Monroe

M

Monica Montefalcone

K

Kevin S. Moses

P

Pargol G. Mostafavi

R

Rodrigo Leão de Moura

C

Chathurika S. Munasinghe

J

Jelvas Mwaura

T

Takashi Nakamura

RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan

J

Jean-Benoit Nicet

M

Marissa F. Nuttall

M

Marilia D. M. Oliveira

H

Hazel A. Oxenford

J

John M. Pandolfi

V

Vardhan Patankar

D

Denise Perez

N

Nishan Perera

D

Derta Prabuning

W

William Precht

K

K. Diraviya Raj

J

James D. Reimer

L

Laura E. Richardson

R

Randi Rotjan

N

Nicole Ryan

R

Rod Salm

S

Stuart A. Sandin

S

Stephanie Schopmeyer

G

George Shedrawi

M

Mohammad Reza Shokri

J

Jennifer E. Smith

K

Kylie Smith

S

Struan R. Smith

T

Tyler B. Smith

B

Brigitte Sommer

M

Melina Soto

R

Richard Suckoo

H

Helen Sykes

K

Kelley Anderson Tagarino

M

Marianne Teoh

M

Minh Quang Thai

T

Tai Chong Toh

A

Alex Tredinnick

A

Alex Tso

H

Harriet Tyley

A

Ali M. Ussi

B

Bernardo Vargas-Angel

C

Christian Vaterlaus

M

Mark J. A. Vermeij

S

Si Tuan Vo

C

Christian R. Voolstra

H

Hin Boo Wee

B

Bradley A. Weiler

D

Dana E. Williams

S

Saleh A. S. Yahya

T

Thamasak Yeemin

M

Maren Ziegler

D

Derek P. Manzello