A recent study identified significant impacts of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on coral bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The Great Barrier Reef, covering nearly 350,000 square kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia, is the largest coral ecosystem in the world.

The GBR contributes about $6.4 billion to Australia's economy annually, but faces serious threats from rising ocean temperatures due to climate change. (Andrei Ionescu, more at earth.com)