What is Coral Bleaching and How is it Affecting Our Reefs?

The iconic Ningaloo Reef is experiencing a widespread coral bleaching event, believed to be caused by an ongoing marine heatwave along the Western Australian coast. Coral bleaching occurs when polyps that make up the colony become stressed, generally due to increased temperatures. We spoke with Dr James Gilmour from the Australian Institute for Marine Science, who has over twenty years of experience with corals and coral bleaching. You'll also hear from Paul Gamblin from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, who is calling on the WA government to take urgent action to protect the reef. Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/tunefmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.