Northern Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching damage worse, surveys suggest

Fresh surveys of the Great Barrier Reef six months on from a mass coral bleaching have found large-scale damage north of Cairns, where a growing coral death rate due to heat stress is being exacerbated by disease and predators, scientists say.

Researchers from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have released a map with new pictures and video that show the aftermath of the extreme underwater heatwave last summer.

The southern half of the reef is in good condition, but the scientists say ongoing surveys at the top end - stretching north of Cairns to Papua New Guinea - confirm it was the worst bleaching episode recorded.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority earlier this year estimated 22 per cent of coral died across the length of the reef due to heat stress.

Read Adam Morton’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Northern Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching damage worse, surveys suggest.”