Australia's "'black summer" bushfires killed, wounded or displaced 143 million mammals — including over 61,000 koalas, per a report published Monday
Why it matters: Koalas in New South Wales and Queensland were in "rapid decline" before last summer's fires ravaged the states, per a statement from Dermot O'Gorman, CEO of WWF-Australia, which commissioned the research. It's "a deeply disturbing number for a species already in trouble," he added.
The annual massive coral spawning of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is underway.
Why it matters: Scientists are concerned that recent severe bleaching at the world’s largest coral reef may limit the size of the phenomenon, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. The health status of the World Heritage-listed ecosystem has worsened from "significant concern" to "critical" for the first time, a new report finds.
