The Great Barrier Coral Reef Is Dying Faster Than Ever

The coral bleaching that struck the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia earlier this year was the deadliest ever recorded in the region, scientists confirmed this week.

Coral bleaching occurs when a disturbance—in this case unusually warm waters due to El Niño—causes corals to lose their color. The bright organisms can recover under the right conditions, but bleaching events typically lead some to die.