A study by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies states that 67% of corals in a 700km wide stretch of the northern Great Barrier Reef have succumbed to bleaching. However, the central and southern regions only experienced 6% and 1% damage respectively.

The northern region is one of the most pristine regions of the reef.

It is expected that the reefs affected will recover in 10 to 15 years, assuming that there are no more bleaching events in the interim.