The Great Australian Barrier Reef has never been dead

It's the coral back.

The Australian Great Barrier Reef "is showing signs of recovery," according to a new study, after massive money laundering events in 2016 and 2017 threatened the world's largest living structure.

A milder summer in 2017-18, coupled with restoration efforts by scientists and government officials, has allowed some reefs to show "substantial signs of recovery," according to a new report from the Queensland state government .

The Great Barrier Reef spans 1,430 kilometers along the Queensland coast and is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, as well as a world heritage site. Unesco.

In 2016, bleaching damaged or destroyed 30% of the coral in the shallow waters of the reef, according to a report published in Nature Research Journal. The research also pointed out that the full impact of this event still needs to be fully evaluated.

Bleaching occurs when coral is stressed by poor water quality and rising ocean temperatures. This stress causes the release of a tiny photosynthetic algae, called zooxanthellae, that lives inside the coral tissue and removes its vibrant colors. If the stress persists, the released zooxanthellae will eventually kill him. But if its environment returns to normal levels, the coral can reabsorb the algae and recover.

"It's important to realize that bleaching occurs in several stages, from the equivalent of a mild sunburn to coral mortality," said Sheriden Morris, general manager of the Reef & Rainforest Research Center. "Saxon Reef, for example, suffered some form of bleaching 47.1% of its living coral cover in the 2016 event."

Morris added that the information on money laundering generally suggested how serious the event was and reports that the reef was dead were "patently false".

However, it still faces threats related to climate change, pollution, natural disasters, destructive fishing and tourism practices and parasitic epidemics.

"This recovery will always depend on environmental conditions," Morris said. "We all know the reef could experience other bleaching events as the climate continues to warm, but we must do everything in our power to help protect our Great Barrier Reef."

In April, the Australian federal government announced a $ 379 million grant to help the Great Barrier Reef weather challenges such as climate change, starfish and stormwater that destroy water quality.