The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has suffered what’s being described as a “widespread” bleaching event, as TheJournal.ie reports.

Images captured from the air by the authority in charge of the Unesco World Heritage site reveal damage ranging from “minor to severe” across the coral reef, caused by higher-than-usual ocean temperatures off Queensland in Australia’s northeast.

Coral bleaching is when normally vibrant coral turns white after expelling algae that live inside its tissue. It’s usually caused by environmental stresses such as a rise in average temperature by as little as a few degrees.

While bleached coral is still a living marine organism, the loss of its algae means it’s much more vulnerable to starvation and disease.

TheJournal.ie has much more on the story HERE.