In danger.
The United Nations began inspections of the Great Barrier Reef on Monday to assess whether the World Heritage site, which is suffering from bleaching, is protected from climate change.
Higher than average temperatures have caused bleaching of some areas of coral, authorities confirmed last week, dampening hopes that a cool La Nina summer would stave off another season of heat damage to the reefs.
The UNESCO mission will assess whether the Australian government is doing enough about threats to the Great Barrier Reef, including climate change, before the World Heritage Commission decides in June whether to classify it as 'in danger' ".
Coral expert Scott Heron, of James Cook University, told AFP he hoped "there is some transparency in the areas of the reef that (the UN team) visits", including those affected by the current bleaching.
“We must act urgently”
"The condition of some parts of the reef is so bad that there is no possibility of coral bleaching this year because there are few corals left," he said.
According to Mr. Heron, climate change is bringing the reef closer to its stress threshold, favoring bleaching episodes.
"We must act on climate change urgently in this decade," he urged.
Read alsoAustralia invests $700 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef
Since 2016, the Great Barrier Reef has suffered three episodes of massive bleaching, during which coral subjected to high temperatures expel algae living in their tissues, draining them of their bright colors.
Last July, the World Heritage Commission decided not to classify the site as “in danger”, to the surprise of many observers and against the recommendation of UNESCO.
Australia launched a billion-dollar "Reef 2050" protection plan after the United Nations threatened in 2015 to decommission the site.
