Great Barrier Reef Again Hit by Severe Coral Bleaching

Two-thirds of the length of the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from bleaching, a condition likely to cause mass coral die-offs. The Australian Research Council (ARC) announced yesterday (April 10) that 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) of reef have bleached in 2017, meaning the symbiotic (and often colorful) algae within the coral's tissues are expelled. Bleaching doesn't necessarily kill corals outright, but leaves them crippled in their ability to get enough nutrients to survive.