REEF RECENT RECOVERY

Sustainability & Environment
ELISA WESTMORE

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has recently witnessed a remarkable achievement. According to the Annual Summary Report of Coral Condition published by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), hard coral cover has reached a 36-year high across two-thirds of the reef, thanks in large part to the absence of climate-related impacts like severe cyclones.

For decades, AIMS has been monitoring the condition of the GBR through its Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP), which commenced in the mid-1980s. The LTMP plays a crucial role in assessing the reef's health by monitoring key indicators such as hard and soft coral cover, proportion of coral bleached, the number and size of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS), and populations of coral trout and sharks.

The recently released 2021-22 report reveals that the Northern and Central regions of the reef experienced significant increases in the percentage of hard coral cover. However, there is still an ongoing decline in the Southern regions, primarily caused by a COTS outbreak on the Swain reefs.

The increase in coral cover can be attributed to the ability of the Reef to recover when given respite from key disturbances. The absence of severe cyclones impacting the reefs and a reduction in COTS outbreaks in the Northern and Central areas have played pivotal roles in facilitating this recovery. It demonstrates how critical stress events such as cyclones, bleaching, and COTS outbreaks are to the Reef's overall health and resilience. During periods free from these disturbances, the Reef can bounce back and even thrive.

However, the report also serves as a reminder of the intensifying challenges the Reef faces due to climate change. Rising temperatures contribute to more frequent climate-driven events, including cyclones and bleaching. These events pose significant threats to the Reef's ability to recover and adapt over time, gradually diminishing its resilience. While water quality can influence the health of inshore corals, it is crucial to acknowledge that climate-driven events have a far more severe and widespread impact. Scientists and farmers alike have long recognised that the intensification of climate impacts represents the greatest threat to the Reef.

As we celebrate the Reef’s recent recovery we must remain steadfast in our commitment to doing our part to protect it. 