The explanation behind the mysterious death of 40 million trees

The figure is impressive: 40 million dead trees.

This occurred in 2015 in the huge mangrove forests of the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia.

The mass death of 10% of the trees there baffled scientists who eventually discovered how this happened.

Sea levels there dropped for six months due to El Niño, a weather event that left the climate extremely dry.

As a result, the trees literally died of thirst.

Now researchers warn that mangroves will have a tough recovery due to climate change.