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More than one third of corals are dying from the effects of bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef’s north and central sections, scientists revealed this week.

To be precise, 35 percent of coral in a 1,400-mile stretch of reef off of Australia’s coast is either dead or dying due to high temperatures and other stressful conditions. These numbers come from aerial and underwater surveys conducted during the last several months by ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland state.

"Is it surprising? Not anymore. Is it significant? Absolutely," Mark Eakin, the coral reef watch coordinator for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told Fox News. "We're talking about losing 35 percent of the population of coral in some of these reefs — that's huge."

The impact of El Nino is believed to be significant in coral bleaching across the world’s oceans. In some Pacific islands, coral death rates have surpassed 80 percent.

Last year, the United Nations heritage body urged Australia to boost its conservation efforts. Since this report comes out during the Australian election season, politicians have jumped at the chance to offer up solutions if elected.  

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