Almost all of the surveyed coral at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef died after last year’s bleaching event, a new study found, revealing one of the highest coral mortality rates ever recorded anywhere in the world.
The 2024 bleaching was part of a global marine heatwave that hit tropical reefs across the planet. Even though Lizard Island did not experience the most extreme temperatures, the coral death rate was still “unprecedented”, researchers noted.
