Great Barrier Reef

Australian authorities are investigating the death of an 80-year-old woman who was left on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef by the cruise ship Coral Adventurer. Her body was found during a search operation after she became separated from her group during a hike.

The Sentinel-2 space mission captured a part of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. The reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is under threat due to climate change.

Australian scientists have recorded the highest coral mortality in 39 years of observations, with up to 72% of corals dead on 12 reefs. At one northern site, about a third of hard corals died due to rising water temperatures.

More than 300 people have been evacuated in the Australian state of Queensland due to flooding caused by a tropical cyclone. Roads and railways are blocked, homes are flooded, and the city of Cairns is at risk of being left without clean water.