The corals that matter most on the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a huge system of over 3,800 individual coral reefs – making it the largest coral reef system on earth. Located off the northeastern coast of Australia, it is home to thousands of species. However, in recent years, the Great Barrier Reef has come under threat. Rising sea temperatures have led to a number of problems, including mass coral bleaching, and a huge increase in the number of crown-of-thorns starfish, which eat corals. Now, a new study has shown that some reefs may be more important than others, in terms of the recovery of the Great Barrier Reef. Lewis Thomson spoke to Professor Peter Mumby from the University of Queensland about his work.