Great Barrier Reef coral reduced to half in 27 years

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years due to storms, poisonous starfish and bleaching linked to climate change, a study found on Tuesday.

Great Barrier Reef [Photo: Xcitefun ]

The research by scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) and the University of Wollongong warned that coral cover on the heritage-listed reef - the world's largest - could halve again by 2022 if trends continued.

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Intense tropical cyclones were responsible for much of the damage, accounting for 48%, with outbreaks of the coral-feeding crown-of-thorns starfish linked to 42%.

Read more: Hindustan Times

Posted in: Australia, Climatic Changes, Coral, Great barrier Reef, Nature