The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals.

The study carried out by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Queensland, has found out that more than half the corals in the reef system have been killed, since 1995. This is as a result of global warming which has led to warmer oceans and bleaching taking place.

The bleaching process occurs when conditions in the oceans change; putting the coral under stress. These changes then cause the zooxanthellae to leave. The coral can return to normal but only if ocean conditions stabilise again and it can take many decades for the reef systems to return to life.

The concerns for the reef system are particularly heightened due to the fact that the majority of the corals that have been bleached are adult corals which then puts the younger corals at risk. Also, the largest decline in the reef system came about from two mass bleaching events in 2016 & 2017; rather than over a long period of time.

For more on this story, check out the following article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wor...