Australian gov't commits 379 million USD to save iconic Great Barrier Reef

CANBERRA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has allocated 500 million Australian dollars (379 million U.S. dollars) to save the Great Barrier Reef from climate change, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced here on Sunday.

The reef, the largest of its kind in the world, has been decimated by climate change with a recent study finding that 30 percent of its coral was killed during a "catastrophic" heatwave in 2016.

Earlier in 2018, the head of the United Nations environment program warned that the fight to save the world's coral reefs was at "make-or-break point."

A vast majority of the funding will be given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation who will continue their efforts to eradicate crown-of-thorns starfish, reduce pollution and mitigate the impact of climate change.

The rest has been allocated to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Department of Environment and Energy to expand environmental management.

Turnbull said the funds were an investment in the reef and the tourism industry that relies on it.

"Like reefs all over the world, the Great Barrier Reef is under pressure," Turnbull said in a statement on Sunday.

"A big challenge demands a big investment, and this investment gives our reef the best chance.

"As a highly respected philanthropic organization, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has a strong fundraising track record, and will seek corporate contributions to further enhance this work," he said.

Damage to the reef has come in the form of coral bleaching, a process whereby coral expel the algae living in their tissue when water is too warm, turning the coral completely white.

Coral that has bleached is not dead but is under more stress and vulnerable to mortality. Enditem