Panel warns on Great Barrier Reef

The report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warns that the reef's coral could be bleached because of warmer seas.

IPCC scientists are meeting in Paris, and are due to release the first stage of their findings on Friday.

The Barrier Reef is Australia's leading tourist destination.

The draft comments, obtained by The Age newspaper, come from the second report which the IPCC will publish this year, dealing with impacts of climate change; the first reviews the overall scientific picture.

'Functionally extinct'

GREAT BARRIER REEF

• More than 2,000 km long
• Home to 1,500 types of fish
• Only living thing the naked eye can see from space

Bleaching occurs regularly during periods when water becomes unusually warm.

Many reefs in East Asia declined significantly during the El Nino conditions in 1997/8; it can take a decade for coral to start recovering from severe bleaching.

But in the future, the Barrier Reef may not have the chance to recover, scientists warn, as temperatures continue to rise and the sea becomes more acidic. This raises the risk that the coral will die outright.

The reef attracts a million visitors a year, and is home to sharks, turtles and numerous brightly coloured fish.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Environment Australia
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