At least 91% of coral reefs aerially surveyed along the Great Barrier Reef were affected by bleaching last summer, a new report has found. It marks the UNESCO World Heritage site’s 6th mass bleaching event, and the 4th since 2016. It’s also the first to occur during a La Niña weather event. Coral cover across the reef had been improving last year, but the annual snapshot December-February by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority attributed the bleaching to a “marine heatwave” that lasted until March 2022. The report was released yesterday despite the independent government agency last week saying it was “not likely to go out now until after the election”. A spokesperson for Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the timing of the report’s release wasn’t something she was involved in.