Flood water will have devastating effects on corals and sea ##grass in parts of Great Barrier Reef . Bigger fishes can swim away from the deluge of fresh water , but smaller coral reef fish may suffer the same fate as the corals they live around , says Brodie . Flood water is full of chemicals , pesticides and nutrients that kill coral . Inshore coral reef lagoon region likely to be full of fresh water for weeks . Coral reefs can take over a year to recover from ' bleaching '
Flood water will have devastating effects on corals and sea ##grass in parts of Great Barrier Reef . Flood water is full of chemicals , pesticides and nutrients that kill coral . Inshore coral reef lagoon region likely to be full of fresh water for weeks . Coral reefs can take over a year to recover from ' bleaching '