Australia's Great Barrier Reef In Great Danger; Extensive Damage To The Reef To The Point Of Dying Expected?

The Great Barrier Reef is in great danger after two-thirds of the 435 miles stretch of coral was killed in the past nine months, according to scientists who surveyed the reef. The home to numerous fish and aquatic species is reportedly in dire straits.

According to a Deloitte Access Economics report, this is the worst die-off ever recorded on the World Heritage Site. Their finding in the reef's north is a major damage for tourism at reef which gains 3.9 billion per year.

James Cook University professor and researcher Andrew Baird described the coral as essentially cooked. He said to Reuters via telephone that the Australia's tropical north is at risk. The majestic reef's "die-off" is  "almost certain"  as the largest ever recorded anywhere because of the reef's size, which is at 134,400 sq miles. It is the biggest reef in the world.

One of the main factors of this is the bleaching of the corals. It occurs when the water is warm which makes the corals expel living algae and causing it to harden then turn white. Bleaching, if done mildly, could make corals recover if the temperature drops. The surveyors found that it occurred in southern parts of the reef.

While bleaching is technically natural, scientists raised their concerns that rising sea temperatures due to global warming create more damage and it leaves sensitive underwater ecosystems unable to recover from the damage.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or more known as UNESCO, in their World Heritage Committee, stopped placing the Great Barrier Reef on their "in danger" list last May but asked the Australian government to give an update on its progress in protecting the reef.

Australia is expected to give an update on Friday, according to a spokesman for Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. Last June, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promised, in his election campaign, to set aside  A$1 Billion to safeguard the reef.

Climate scientists discussed that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat radiating from earth, causing global warming.