Publication Date April 28, 2016 | International Business Times

Great Barrier Reef hit by worst coral bleaching event on record, aerial surveys reveal

Australia
Photo: Reuters, David Gray
Photo: Reuters, David Gray

Just days after scientists documented widespread coral “bleaching” in the Great Barrier Reef, fresh surveys have revealed the true extent of the damage. Vast regions of the biodiversity hotspot, which is the largest living structure on the planet, are currently experiencing the worst mass bleaching event in their history, with only four reefs out of 520 surveyed being spared from the effects of bleaching