he summer of 2001–2002 saw a mass bleaching event that was slightly more severe than the 1997–1998 event. The first signs of substantial bleaching were reported in January 2002, with the worst over by April.
In response, GBRMPA implemented the world's most comprehensive survey of coral bleaching in collaboration with AIMS, the Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef (CRC Reef) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Aerial surveys revealed bleaching in 54 per cent of the 641 reefs observed. Nearly 41 per cent of offshore and 72 per cent of inshore reefs had moderate or high levels of bleaching.
Again, reef recovery was generally good, with fewer than five per cent of the reefs suffering high mortality. The worst affected reefs were in the Bowen area where around 70 per cent of corals died.
