Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies looked at the impacts of bleaching in 2016 and 2017, finding that surviving coral behaved differently the second time.

"We can no longer assume that future bleaching events, in say a decade or two, will have the same effect that they have now, because of these changes in physiology in the mix of species," lead researcher Terry Hughes told ABC radio on Tuesday.

Australian Associated Press