'Climate crisis' scientists make terrifying discovery off the coast of New Zealand

dailystar.co.uk:

Climate change scientists are alarmed following a shocking marine discovery off the coast of New Zealand. Hordes of sea sponges have been spotted bleached white, as opposed to their typical, healthy brown colour.

Marine biology professor James Bell made the concerning find under the water at the Breaksea Sound and Doubtful Sound fjords in Fiordland, while on a research trip last month.

The Victoria University of Wellington academic said this was the first ever mass bleaching of sea sponges in New Zealand, following a few similar reports from cold waters around the world.

He told The Guardian: "This just highlights the kind of climate crisis that we’re facing. There are so many species around New Zealand and we don’t know what their thermal tolerances are."Our initial estimates are there are at least hundreds of thousands of sponges likely to have been bleached and maybe even many more than that."In some areas, Mr Bell said 95% of the sea sponges were bleached.New Zealand's sponge gardens have a crucial ecological role, creating habitats for fish and releasing carbon which feeds other species.