The Australian Government Department responsible for the management of the Great Barrier Reef has suggested it has suffered from a third major bleaching episode in the last five years.
Coral bleaching occurs when the temperature of the sea water increases. Coral typically can survive in waters that are between 18-23 degrees Celsius; any higher and it loses its colour, becoming white. This is known as bleaching.
Eventually the coral could die as will the huge ecosystems that it supports.
Questions to consider:
- Why does the Great Barrier Reef have a whole government agency responsible for its management?
- How could the decline in the Great Barrier Reef lead to unemployment?
- How do the decisions you make everyday have an impact on the Great Barrier Reef?