Coral bleaching comes to the Great Barrier Reef as record-breaking global temperatures continue

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has declared severe coral bleaching underway on the reefs north of Cooktown. El Niño and climate change have driven record-breaking temperatures worldwide. Sea temperatures have also been at record-breaking levels. In the oceans, we have known for more than a decade that rapidly warming ocean temperatures present a serious threat to coral reefs