The world's coral reefs are bleaching so frequently that they no longer have sufficient time to recover between events, according to a new report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), an international scientific body that tracks reef health worldwide. Global coral cover has fallen well below historical norms since 2010, with the 2023 bleaching event — the most extensive on record — affecting 77 percent of the world's reef areas, and scientists say a similar event this year is "very likely" given persistently elevated ocean temperatures. The findings carry serious consequences for marine ecosystems: coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor yet support more than a quarter of all marine life, making their decline a critical warning sign for the broader health of the world's oceans.