A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new scientific report.
Share this @internewscast.com

A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new report.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science has reported extensive coral bleaching and mortality over a 1500km stretch of coastline, spanning the entire state from Ashmore to the Ningaloo Reef.

But scientists warned that it would still take months to understand the full extent of the event.

A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new scientific report.
A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia. (© AIMS | Declan Stick)

“A bleached coral is not a dead coral — it can recover,” coral scientist Nicole Ryan said.

“For some coral species, it can take time after bleaching for it to recover or die.”

Scientists began monitoring a marine heatwave in September, which only continued to intensify for the next eight months.

Heat stress peaked in December and January, dipped slightly before peaking again in March and April.

Temperatures only began to drop in May.

During that period, all reefs experienced a combined 15 weeks of sea temperatures at least one degree above the historic maximum.

Some reefs in the Pilbara felt up to 30 weeks of the increased water temperature.

Corals begin to die after eight weeks of heat stress. 

A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new scientific report.
The reef at Rowley Shoals before bleaching. (© AIMS | James Gilmour)
A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new scientific report.
The reef at Rowley Shoals after bleaching. (© AIMS | James Gilmour)

The Australian Institute of Marine Science found it was the “longest, largest and most intense” marine heatwave on record for the state.

The heat stress is believed to beat records set during the 2011 La Nina and the 2016 El Nino on most reefs.

James Gilmour, a senior research scientist, stated that climate change has finally impacted reefs and sections of the coast that had never experienced bleaching before.

“We’ve never witnessed such prolonged and intense heat stress, affecting multiple regions simultaneously, on most of the reefs in Western Australia,” he mentioned.

Gilmour said it was a concerning time for coral reefs in Australia, with the Great Barrier Reef also experiencing an extended mass bleaching.

He also pointed out that climate change is the driving force behind these increasingly frequent, intense, and widespread events, leaving our cherished coral reefs with little time to heal.

“And they need 10 to 15 years to recover fully.”

A prolonged marine heatwave has caused the worst coral bleaching event on record for Western Australia, according to a new scientific report.
Gilmour said it was a concerning time for coral reefs in Australia. (© AIMS | Declan Stick)

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, global oceans experienced their warmest year on record last year.

Sea surface temperatures in and around Australia were the warmest since records began in 1900.

According to Claire Spillman, leader of the Bureau of Meteorology’s Seasonal and Marine Applications team, the rise in extreme and record-high ocean temperatures is tied to global warming.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
People queue outside the ABC Bullion store at Martin Place, Sydney October 22, 2025.

Australian Gold Rush Turns to Bust: Prices Plummet After Record-Breaking Queues

In recent weeks, and particularly this Monday and Tuesday, people have been…
The political future of South Australian MP Nick McBride is hanging in the balance after he was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife.

South Australian MP Faces New Assault Charges Amid Ongoing Domestic Violence Allegations

Police have laid three new charges against an independent MP who now…

Indonesia Commits to Active Participation in Global Sports Amid IOC Criticism Over Israel Ban

Indonesia says it will continue to play an “active role” in international…

U.S. Strike Targets Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel in Pacific, Leaving Two Dead

The United States military carried out a lethal strike on a boat…

Justice Delayed: Kumanjayi White’s Family Awaits Answers as Inquest Stalls

Warning: this article contains the name of an Aboriginal person who has…
Kristy Appleton fell sick with meningococcal B on the day she returned home from competing on the world stage in waterskiing.

Mother Urges Vaccination After Athletic Daughter’s Close Call with Meningococcal B

A mother from Queensland is advocating for the meningococcal B vaccine to…

Australia Deploys ADF Liaison Officer to Support US-Led Gaza Peace Taskforce Initiative

An official from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will be sent to…
The shopper found the Cadbury block of chocolate for sale for NZD$4.50 at a Woolworths in New Zealand

Woolworths’ Pricing Discrepancy Sparks Debate as Iconic Australian Product Found Cheaper in New Zealand

Woolworths customers in Australia have expressed frustration upon learning that a beloved…
Australians who've self-diagnosed a gluten intolerance have been warned that they're likely cutting out the wrong foods.

New Research Reveals Aussies Misdiagnosing Gut Problems as Gluten Intolerance: A Growing Health Concern

Australians who have self-diagnosed with gluten intolerance might be excluding the wrong…
'Doom and gloom': Truth behind Australia's birth rate 'crisis'

Unveiling the Reality: Is Australia’s Birth Rate Crisis Fact or Fiction?

Australia’s declining birth rate recently captured attention when the Bureau of Statistics…

Uncovering the Truth: How a Single Bone is Rewriting Australia’s Megafauna Extinction Story

A decades-old theory that First Nations peoples hunted Australia’s megafauna to extinction…
Trump tears down nearly all of White House East Wing for new ballroom

Trump Initiates Major Renovation in White House East Wing for New Ballroom

The White House East Wing has been completely demolished, according to newly…