TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA — Hot weather over the coming weeks could see the Great Barrier Reef enter a period of dangerous coral bleaching, reports Vice.com.
Citing international marine experts, Phys.org reports that Australia's Great Barrier Reef might soon face another period of severe coral bleaching if the warmer than average March weather continues to heat the reef.
The last time that happened large swathes of corals were wiped out.
For scale, the GBR is around the same size as Japan.
Vice reports that between 2016 and 2017 half of all corals died in Australia's Great Barrier Reef following a series of heatwaves.
According to National Geographic, 30 percent died in 2016, and a further 20 percent perished in 2017 due to heat stress.
The coming weeks will be a "critical time" for the reef, explained David Wachenfield, Chief Scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), in a weekly update on the reef's health posted to GBPRMPA YouTube channel.
