Great Barrier Reef bleaching worse than first thought

Fish swimming past coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. -AFP filepic

SYDNEY: Coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is worse than first thought and the impact will accelerate unless global greenhouse gas emissions are cut, scientists said Monday.

The 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) World Heritage-listed reef suffered its most severe bleaching on record last year due to warming sea temperatures during March and April.