Aussie corals unable to recover from back-to-back bleaching

Sydney

CORAL bleached for two consecutive years at Australia's Great Barrier Reef has "zero prospect" of recovery, scientists warned on Monday, as they confirmed the site has again been hit by warming sea temperatures.

Researchers said last month they were detecting another round of mass bleaching this year after a severe event in 2016, and their fears were confirmed after aerial surveys of the entire 2,300-kilometre long bio-diverse reef.