Some of Ningaloo's most iconic sites, including Turquoise Bay, Coral Bay, Tantabiddi and Bundegi (Exmouth Gulf), have been bleached from a vast underwater heatwave
Marine heatwave causing mass destruction as it moves down WA coast, killing tens of thousands of fish on Pilbara coast and now bleaching iconic Ningaloo
Governments must inform the public how it will deal with Ningaloo bleaching, marine heatwave and climate change
Divers have collected footage of widespread coral bleaching at Ningaloo
Western Australia's iconic Ningaloo Reef is being hit by widespread coral bleaching and demands the strongest response from government, the Australian Marine Conservation Society said today.
Australian Marine Conservation Society WA Director Paul Gamblin said: "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 government, not business as usual. Large areas of coral could die in the weeks ahead. This is a red-alert moment for Ningaloo.
"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.
"We called for the WA government to address this destructive marine heatwave weeks ago after the fish kill, and there has been silence at the ministerial level. Surely now that there is such widespread bleaching at Ningaloo, someone in government will step up.
"We know that many people in Exmouth are distressed by what they are witnessing, and they need and deserve a clear response from government. It's also a stark reminder that coastal communities and their businesses, including the fishing industry and Ningaloo's world-renowned tourism industry, rely on a healthy marine environment, and climate change poses an existential threat to them.
"In addition to Ningaloo, we also need to urgently know the status of bleaching at WA's spectacular offshore coral reefs, including Scott Reef and the Rowley Shoals.
"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. WA's spectacular coast, so core to our identity and economy, is clearly not immune to the destructive impacts of climate change.
"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."
