At least 97% of corals on a reef in the Great Barrier Reef’s north died during one of the worst coral bleaching events the world’s biggest reef system has ever seen, according to new analysis.
The analysis is understood to be the first attempt to quantify the extent of coral death over a reef affected by this summer’s mass bleaching – the fifth in eight years – that saw heat stress hit record levels across some parts of the world heritage-listed reef.
After looking at the results of coral monitoring trips across 131 reefs over more than 30 years, the scientists found the number of reefs hit by disturbances had gone up from 6% in the 1980s to 44% in the 2010s.
On Tuesday the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, declared a “huge win” for Australia after Unesco said it would not recommend the world heritage committee put the reef on its list of sites “in danger” when it meets at the end of July in India.