A comprehensive study published in Nature Communications highlights the alarming state of the world's coral reefs, revealing that over 51% of them experienced moderate or worse bleaching between 2014 and 2017, with 15% suffering significant mortality. This period, known as the 'Third Global Bleaching Event,' was unprecedented in its duration and severity, as previous events in 1998 and 2010 lasted only a year each. Sean Connolly from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute emphasized that this was 'by far the most severe and widespread coral bleaching event on record,' and warned that the situation is worsening with a 'Fourth Event' beginning in early 2023 (Business Recorder, February 10, 2026). The study involved data from over 15,000 surveys and satellite-based heat stress measurements, indicating that ocean warming is accelerating coral degradation, potentially leading to irreversible damage (phys.org, February 10, 2026).