El Nino harming the Barrier Reef

The plan to deposit three million cubic metres of material into Australia's Great Barrier Reef prompted an outcry from environmentalists. AFP

SYDNEY: Scientists warned coral bleaching was occurring on the Great Barrier Reef as sea temperatures warm, and it could rapidly accelerate unless cooler conditions blow in over the next few weeks.

Authorities cautioned last year that the world faced a mass global coral bleaching event driven by the warming effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said it was a growing concern.