Cyclone Damaged 10% of Reef

One of the most severe cyclones to lash Australia damaged at least 10% of the world heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, scientists said yesterday.

Cyclone Ingrid, even more powerful than Cyclone Tracy that devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day 1974, cut a swath through a third of the region's 260 coral reefs when it hit Queensland's far north coast in March.

The category four cyclone packed winds of more than 155mph and whipped up waves as high as 10 metres (33ft), according to the Australian bureau of meteorology.

Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science discovered during a 15-day study tour that 80 individual reefs had borne the brunt of the cyclone. They warned it could take decades for the reef to recover

Katharina Fabricius, the project leader, said damaged sections of the reef had been found more than 62 miles from the eye of the storm.

More resistant coral on the outer edge of the damaged area was likely to take just two to three years to fully recover, Dr Fabricius said, while areas that were stripped bare of coral could take as long as 20 years to bounce back.