Oily Water Patches Sighted Near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Patches of oily water detected near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a Unesco-protected site, will be investigated further Saturday morning, local authorities said.

“We can confirm some patches of oily water have been sighted in the water south of Townsville,” Maritime Safety Queensland said in an e-mailed statement Friday. “A water police vessel out of Townsville and Emergency Management Queensland helicopter investigated and reported a sheen on the water and small oily patches about 1 meter in diameter.”