This mortal coral: new bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef – in pictures
Aerial surveys of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef conducted in late 2016 and early 2017 show the Unesco world heritage site has suffered severe coral bleaching for the second year in a row. According to Prof Terry Hughes, who conducted the surveys, the bleaching is caused by ‘record-breaking temperatures driven by global warming’.
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Beaver reef near Mission Beach in March 2017. This year was the first mass bleaching to occur for a second consecutive year on the Great Barrier Reef. In 2016 22% of coral was killed off in a single hit.
Photograph: Kerryn Bell
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An aerial view of bleaching between Cairns and Townsville in March. In February most of the Great Barrier Reef was placed on red alert for coral bleaching by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Photograph: Ed Roberts
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Bleached coral on Mission Beach Reefs in February caused by underwater heatwaves. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said sea-surface temperatures from Cape Tribulation to Townsville were up to 2C higher than normal for more than a month over the summer. An extreme heatwave in Australia in February saw land temperatures reach above 47C in parts of the country.
Photograph: Bette Willis
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Bleaching comes when heat stress forces corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, which leaves them white.
Photograph: Bette Willis
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Scientists say fast-growing coral takes 10 to 15 years to fully recover from bleaching.
Photograph: Bette Willis
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Mission Beach reefs in February.
Photograph: Bette Willis
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A diver swims over bleached coral off Orpheus Island in March. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system and attracts about 2 million visitors a year.
Photograph: Greg Torda
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Bleaching between Cairns and Townsville photographed in March.
Photograph: Ed Roberts
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The bleached reef between Cairns and Townsville.
Photograph: Ed Roberts
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Bleaching between Cairns and Townsville.
Photograph: Ed Roberts
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A study found that 91% of coral on the Great Barrier Reef had suffered from bleaching over the past two decades.
Photograph: Ed Roberts
