Parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the steepest annual decline in live coral cover following the worst bleaching events in nearly four decades. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, or Aims, said that two of the three areas monitored by researchers since 1986 have suffered coral losses this year.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science says coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef has declined after mass bleaching events, with experts warning it faces a future of "increased volatility".