Heatwave in Australia: Great Barrier Reef Suffers Coral Bleaching

Australia: According to a new government monitoring report, 91 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef's coral has been damaged due to bleaching following a prolonged summer heatwave in Australia.

It was the first time on record the reef had suffered bleaching during a La Nina weather cycle, when temperatures would normally be expected to be cooler.

The Reef Snapshot report first revealed in March, offered new detail on the damage caused by the fourth "mass bleaching" the world's largest coral reef system has experienced since 2016.

"Climate change is escalating, and the Reef is already experiencing the consequences of this," the report warned.

The report published late Tuesday shows that The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority conducted extensive surveys of the World Heritage-listed reef between September 2021 and March 2022.

The survey found out that all three major regions of the reef experienced bleaching after waters began to warm last December. Bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when coral is stressed and expels brightly coloured algae living in it.

The report said that although bleached corals are still alive, and there is a chance that moderately affected sections of the reef might recover, "severely bleached corals have higher mortality rates", according to NDTV report.

719 reefs were surveyed, out of which 654 showed some level of coral bleaching, according to the report.

Australia's federal election is stated to be held on May 21. The report has been published ten days prior to the election in which climate change policy a key issue for voters. The report published 10 days before the election might have an impact on the voting pattern.

United Nations' World Heritage Committee will decide next month whether to list the reef as "in danger".

In 2015 Australia created a "Reef 2050" plan when the UN previously threatened to downgrade the reef's World Heritage listing, and poured billions of dollars into its protection.