Chemicals from human cosmetics and drugs have been found in the blood of turtles living in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Green turtles were found to have hundreds of thousands of different chemicals in their blood stream, which had caused the animals to suffer from liver dysfunction. Scientists said the discovery highlighted the devastating impact of … Read more
The Great Barrier Reef can no longer be saved in its present form and is damaged beyond repair, scientists have warned. They say coral bleaching in the area is worse than thought, partly because of the ‘extraordinary rapidity’ of global warming. Instead, scientists should be taken to maintain the World Heritage Site’s ‘ecological function’. The … Read more
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. Initial aerial and in-water … Read more
Coral-munching crown-of-thorns starfish can be safely killed by common household vinegar, scientists revealed Thursday in a discovery that offers hope for Australia’s struggling Great Barrier Reef. The predatory starfish is naturally-occurring but has proliferated due to pollution and run-off at the World Heritage-listed ecosystem, which is also reeling from two consecutive years of mass coral … Read more
Australia’s plan to rescue the beleaguered Great Barrier Reef has been set back at least two decades after the fragile ecosystem suffered its worst-ever bleaching last year, experts said Friday. The vast coral reef — which provides a tourism boon for Australia — is under pressure from agricultural run-off, the crown-of-thorns starfish, development and climate … Read more