One of the World's Most Pristine Coral Reefs Turns Ghostly Pale Due to a Serious Reason Shocking Experts

The coral reef system in Australia is known for its marine biodiversity and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site attracts countless scuba divers and snorkelers throughout the year, but lately, widespread coral bleaching has affected the Ningaloo Reef in the western part of the country. The once lively and vibrant coral reef system has turned ghostly pale, prompting the Australian government to take rapid actions to protect the biosphere, per the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

"This is heartbreaking for all of us who love Ningaloo. To see beautiful coral reefs bleaching white at Ningaloo icons, including Turquoise Bay, Coral Bay, and Bundegi, is just devastating. Bleaching at Ningaloo is not normal. It demands urgent action from the government," the conservation society's WA director, Paul Gamblin, said in a statement. Gamblin also mentioned that the coral reef could perish in the upcoming weeks and it is a serious situation for the Ningaloo reef. "This marine heatwave is like an underwater bushfire raging along Western Australia’s coast killing tens of thousands of fish that washed up on Pilbara beaches and now it’s cooking Ningaloo, the jewel in the crown," he explained.

Shortly before the bleaching, the destructive marine heatwave had also killed various forms of marine life in the area but there was no immediate action taken about it from the Australian government. “We know that many people in Exmouth are distressed by what they are witnessing, and they need and deserve a clear response from government," he continued. Due to the bleaching, the coastal communities and their businesses, prominently the fishing industry, were affected severely. Ningaloo also happens to be a tourism hub offering a healthy marine environment to visitors. Due to the climate change, the tourism industry is also expected to receive a blow. 

"It’s time we listened to our scientists who have been warning for decades that climate change would threaten Ningaloo as it already has the Great Barrier Reef and many other coral reefs around the world. Governments should be reducing pressure on our stressed marine environment, not piling it on. They should not even be contemplating industrial development at special places such as Exmouth Gulf, Ningaloo, and oil and gas drilling at Scott Reef," Gamblin explained. Divers recorded footage of the bleached reef that resembled the surface of the Moon, suggesting that the reef system was dying, according to IFL Science. Bleached coral reefs might appear they have died but there are chances for them to recover and it all depends on the environmental condition.

Gamblin also told the outlet that Ningaloo is by far the biggest and the most accessible near-shore reef in Western Australia. The reef stretches for 180 miles and people don't even need boats to access it. The widespread bleaching of Ningaloo was not reported until 2010 to 2011. Gamblin further explained that the warm water reaches a depth of 1,000 feet and called for a public assessment of Western Australia's other major coral reefs, too. "In Western Australia, we have this juxtaposition of incredible features and the oil and gas industry. You can see the gas rigs from Ningaloo. The government is looking at opening up areas for drilling around Scott Reef which is a major reef system further offshore," Gamblin concluded.