"Southern Great Barrier Reef Suffers Extensive Coral Bleaching Amid Warmer Ocean Temperatures"

The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing extensive coral bleaching due to heat stress, raising concerns about a potential seventh mass bleaching event. Aerial surveys revealed widespread bleaching across surveyed reefs, with soaring ocean temperatures attributed to the destructive bleaching. Scientists fear the frequency and scale of these events, driven by the climate crisis, pose a significant threat to the reef's future. Efforts to protect the reef include ongoing surveys and calls for addressing climate change as an existential threat to marine ecosystems.