Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching worst on record

Bleaching to Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the worst on record, with 95 percent of the northern reaches ranked in the two most severe categories, according to a scientist studying the reef.

Human induced climate change has been increasing the frequency of mass coral bleaching, further strengthened by the El Nino reinforced warm water traveling through the equatorial pacific, causing mass bleaching events in Fiji, New Caledonia and Kiribati, among others.

James Cook University Professor Terry Hughes told local media on Tuesday that only four of the 550 reefs surveyed between Cairns and Papua New Guinea in the world heritage listed marine park appeared to be untouched from the mass bleaching.