The Australian Great Barrier Reef is not in good condition, according to a report by the Australian government. Researchers say that the coverage by live coral has never decreased as rapidly as it has now in the forty years that it has been tracked.
The Great Barrier Reef is mainly suffering from the after-effects of the massive bleaching last year, the Australian Institute of Marine Science writes in a statement. The researchers see that massive bleaching is occurring more and more frequently. The cases also follow each other more quickly and affect an increasingly larger area.
Coral bleaching is mainly caused by the warming of the ocean water. Due to the high sea temperature, the algae that give the coral its characteristic colors leave. The reef can recover. But if the heat persists, the coral turns white and dies.
Lead researcher Mike Emslie says that the reef has also suffered damage from cyclones and starfish infestation, but “cause number one is climate change, there is no doubt about that”. In 2024 and early 2025, the sea temperature around Australia was unusually high.