Defying expectations, the corals in One Tree Island, in the south of the Great Barrier Reef are showing signs of recovery. Meanwhile, the European Union's Climate Change Service warns that last June was the hottest on record. More in this week's Environment Report.
One Tree Island, is located at the south part of the Great Barrier Reef. The reef was severely hit by hurricane Hamish in 2009 and for several years there were no signs of recovery. This changed in 2014, when a team of researchers led by Kay Davis from Southern Cross University.
Mrs Davis and her team discovered that in 2014, the calcification levels in the reef were four times as high. The reef's coral cover has increased by 30% to 40%.
The scientists are not sure as to the cause but they believe that part of the reason might be that the island is a scientific permit zone only, meaning that the impact of human activity is minimal on the island.
Last June the hottest on record
The Copernicus Climate Change Service is warning that last July was the hottest ever since countries around the world begun keeping track. The Service is the European Union's leading body on climate.
The Service found that the global average temperature last June was the highest it has been recorded for that month. The situation is especially dire in Europe, with some parts showing the average temperature there sitting 2 degrees Celsius above normal levels.
You can read more here.
