El Nino could imperil Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Sydney (AFP) Aug 9, 2023

Australia's Great Barrier Reef could deteriorate if warming ocean temperatures spark another mass coral bleaching event later this year, the country's top marine science body said Wednesday. Sections of the reef had been showing promising signs of recovery until a bleaching event in 2022 turned swathes of the vibrant coral a sickly, pale white. The Australian Institute of Marine Scienc