Great Barrier Reef health update
by GBRMPA 19 Nov 2019 07:49 HKT
The Reef remains a vibrant, beautiful ecosystem © GBRMPA
The Great Barrier Reef remains a vibrant, beautiful ecosystem of immense value to Australians and the world and continues to attract millions of visitors each year.
However, like other coral reefs globally, the Reef is under pressure from climate change and other threats.
Climate change impacts on coral reefs are predicted to worsen and critically affect the survival of coral reefs globally without the strongest possible climate change mitigation.
The Reef is already experiencing the consequences of climate change — most notably, two consecutive years of coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017.
Our climate is changing year-by-year, causing changes in the Reef ecosystem. The Reef is under pressure which makes it more vulnerable to possible impacts particularly over summer and the cyclone season.
Global action on climate change is vital and urgent. Australia has ratified the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Limiting global warming closer to the stricter 1.5 degreesC position — not just the 2 degreesC overarching target — reduces climate risks to coral reefs.
Now more than ever, it's vital to address climate change at the global level and implement local actions to boost reef resilience.
Latest updates on Reef health
From May to October 2019 we released monthly updates about what's happening on the Reef.
From November, as we lead up to summer, these updates will become more regular as it's the highest risk period for coral reefs due to elevated temperature, with corals highly sensitive to even small variations in temperature.
Read more here.