Hot summer hurts Barrier Reef coral

Australia’s hot summer has had a devastating effect on the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists say they’re stunned by the amount of coral that’s already been bleached.

The coral specialists just back from diving around the Keppel Islands are comparing the severity of the damage to the worst case ever recorded. That was in 2002, when 60 per cent of the reef was bleached.

The scientists say the entire reef may now be at risk of destruction from global warming.

ABC.net