Science & technology | Coral hazard
The Great Barrier Reef is seeing unprecedented coral bleaching
Continued global warming will mean its obliteration
![Marine biologist inspecting and recording bleached and dead coral around Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240518_STP502.jpg)
|Sydney
THE GREAT Barrier Reef is a natural marvel. Spanning 2,300km along the north-east coast of Australia, this vast ecosystem boasts hundreds of species of multicoloured corals across an area roughly the size of Italy. Thousands of other marine species rely on it for their survival. But the rate at which Earth is warming leaves its future in doubt.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Total whiteout”
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