Australia's pristine Ningaloo Reef has avoided coral bleaching: scientists

Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef has avoided damage from coral bleaching, unlike the Great Barrier Reef on the other side of Australia, according to research published at the weekend.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) found that parts of the reef, which occupies a 260-km stretch off the northwestern coast of Western Australia (WA), are in the same condition as 30 years ago.

The state of the Ningaloo Reef presents a stark contrast to that of the Great Barrier Reef which has suffered considerable damage as a result of coral bleaching.

"It's really pleasing that Ningaloo hasn't undergone any bleaching - it's fantastic news actually," Damian Thomson, of the CSIRO, told The Australian newspaper.

Coral bleaching occurs when the relationship between coral and microscopic algae which lives in its tissue breaks down due to increased stress from rising water temperature, effectively killing the coral and causing it to turn white.

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest of its kind in the world, has been decimated by the phenomenon, with researchers revealing in April that only 7 percent of the reef had avoided coral bleaching.

Small towns in the north of WA which rely heavily on the tourism industry centered around Ningaloo will be particularly relieved by the news which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Thomson said that the large number of tourists - not coral bleaching - now poses the largest threat to the reef going forward.

"It's a relatively small tract of reef when you look at the extent of the Australian coastline, but the number of people that love holidaying there or going there for other activities, it is very well used. That is probably the main challenge, managing that," he said.

The study - partly funded by mining company BHP Billiton - marks the conclusion of the first year of the Ningaloo Outlook which is aiming to increase the understanding of the reef. Endit