Western Australia has been hit by marine heatwaves since August, and now coral is bleaching in large areas along the coast from World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef to Ashmore Reef.

Aerial support had to be pulled during Sunday's bushfire in Dunsborough after rogue drones were spotted in the area.

Advocates are calling this a “red alert” moment for the usually resilient reef, as a marine heatwave already linked to a fish ...