'Perfect storm' led to 2016 Barrier Reef whitening: Study
Unprecedented oceanographic conditions in 2016 produced the perfect storm of factors leading to mass coral bleaching at Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a study found. Bleaching caused by underwater heatwaves forces corals to expel their algae turning them white and vulnerable to diseases. Further, prolonged "residence time" of the 2016 El NiÃ±o heating event created water patches as hot as 34ÂºC.