The Coral Reefs We Depend On Most May Fall First

For the second year in a row, the Great Barrier Reef has been devastated by coral bleaching. According to researchers, this marks the first time the reef has not had several years between bleaching events to recover.

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The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science spent six hours conducting an expansive aerial survey from Townsville to Cairns, Australia. They found that bleaching is affecting the central part of the park—which just last year had escaped severe bleaching.

Warmer oceanic waters, an effect of climate change, prompt an increase in coral bleaching around the world. Here’s Mary Bowerman, reporting for USA Today: