Researchers concluded that the only way to save the Great Barrier Reef is to stop global warming. Due to climate change, the corals have been exposed to heat-induced bleaching. Bleaching occurs when the corals are under stress and drives out the algae inside of them, giving them a colorless appearance. Local protection of the reefs can help damaged coral, but rising ocean temperatures kill the corals at a faster rate. Approximately 91 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached since 1998, studies have shown. ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Director Terry Hughes