Great Barrier Reef damaged by cyclone - will take two decades to recover

A Devastating cyclone which hit Australia in March damaged 10 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef, scientists revealed yesterday.

The category-four cyclone Ingrid, one of the most powerful tropical storms to batter Australia in recent years, affected sections of the reef up to 60 miles from its path, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

"It was an awesome display of the force of nature," said Dr Katharina Fabricius.

Researchers believe some parts of the reef may take just a few years to recover while others could take decades.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches for almost 1,200 miles along the coast of Queensland and is one of Australia's most popular tourist attractions.

On a recent 15-day study, researchers found 80 individual reefs suffered direct hits as Ingrid surged towards the coast. "We saw massive coral two to three metres in diameter lifted on top of reef flats. The amount of energy that it took was incredible," Dr Fabricius said.

"But knowing that the reefs are so healthy up there because human pressures are so low makes me fairly certain they will recover reasonably quickly."

Ingrid crossed the reef on its northern reaches, which are not the most popular destinations for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit each year.

Coral at the outer edge of the damaged area will probably take two to three years to recover, while areas stripped bare of coral could take two decades, Dr Fabricius said.

The study, said to be the most comprehensive of its kind, will also help scientists shed light on how reefs react to man-made disturbances such as coral bleaching.

"If we have a good understanding of natural dynamics of how a reef can get wiped out and come back then we've got some better understanding about what happens if there is additional [human] disturbance," Dr Fabricius said.

Source: news.scotsman.com