the sixth mass bleaching events since 1997. richard leck, head of 0ceans at wwf australia gave me his assessment. what we re seeing is a really serious unfolding on the great barrier reef. parts of the reef are under conditions of an underwater heatwave and we re hearing reports of severe bleaching over an extended area in the central part of the great barrier reef. now, fingers crossed the water cools down over the next few days and weeks and we don t have an official mass bleaching event, but what we ve heard now is really serious and it s certainly going to extend for a long length of the reef marine park. we were just looking at some pictures there, and what s so striking for anybody that s ever been on the great barrier reef is the enormous amount of different colours and the beauty of it, and then you look at the bleaching and it sjust this sort of white colour, isn t it? that s what bleaching is, and that s because the water
really serious, and it is certainly going to extend for a long length of the reef marine park. ~ , ., park. we were ust looking at some pictures park. we were just looking at some pictures there, - park. we were just looking at some pictures there, and - park. we were just looking at i some pictures there, and what s some pictures there, and what s so striking for anybody that s ever been the great barrier reef is the enormous amount of different colours and the beauty of it, and then you look at the bleaching and it s just this sort of white colour, isn t it? that s what bleaching is, and that s because the water is too warm. just explain. water is too warm. just explain- water is too warm. just exlain. i. , explain. so when you get these underwater explain. so when you get these underwater heatwave explain. so when you get these | underwater heatwave conditions that we have now, the corals become incredibly stressed. and that brilliant white colour that brilliant white colour