Barren wasteland is a bit far fetched, not sure which sites you are visiting off Port/Airlie but most of the tourist operator sites are still in fairly good sha

Barren wasteland is a bit far fetched, not sure which sites you are visiting off Port/Airlie but most of the tourist operator sites are still in fairly good shape, except maybe low Isles i.e. not pristine but they remain some of the best in the world and worth a visit. Lots of endemic species/corals etc. Which isn't to say there isn't a problem, the reports are correct, the signs are there, and repeats of the bleaching events of the past few years will definitely lead to the wasteland you describe (as seen in areas of the gbr and many of the other Pacific and american reefs). The original numbers were 90% of the reef had died, what this actually meant was that of all the sites surveyed 90% showed some sign of bleaching - which basically means stress due to heat exposure. The death bit comes later when the coral doesn't have time to rejuvinate.