Widespread Bleaching And Coral Death Across Western Australian Reefs As Well As GBR

The global coral bleaching event devastating the Great Barrier Reef has spread to reefs in Western Australia, where the federal government halted the implementation of marine parks, which would help the reefs recover.

In light of worsening bleaching, the Greens have called on the government to urgently implement the marine reserves, which were created in 2012, but were effectively abandoned by the Coalition when elected. Greens senator Rachel Siewert put on notice a motion calling on the government to “make the marine parks operational without further delay” and to “commit adequate funding for management, buyout and education”.

Bleaching has been recorded at reefs between Darwin and Broome, as well as Browse Island. Other reports emerging from Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims) surveys have revealed bleaching at sites along the Kimberley coast, and further off-shore at Christmas Island, Cocos Island and Seringapatam Reef.

The latest reports show that between 60% and 90% of coral at the renowned and isolated Scott Reef have been bleached in water as deep as 15m. Scientists there say widespread coral death has been seen already. Karen Miller, a program leader and researcher at Aims said the bleaching at Scott reef is the worst they have ever seen, even worse than the severe bleaching that smashed the reef in 1998.

EDIT

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/22/coral-bleaching-spreads-from-great-barrier-reef-to-western-australia