Global warming has increased the frequency and intensity of underwater heatwaves, one of the main causes of devastating coral bleaching. This leads to the extinction of the ecosystem and the death of these magnificent organisms that are home to hundreds of other species. In recent years, environmentalists have been literally shouting about the destruction of the reef. However, there still seems to be hope.

The reef is coming back

According to the AIMS report, the northern and central regions are showing encouraging signs of recovery – so much so that researchers suggest full recovery is possible in the future.

Every summer, the reef is threatened by heat stress, discoloration and potential death. The 2020 and 2022 whitening, although large, did not reach the intensity of the 2016 and 2017 events, and we saw fewer deaths as a result,
says AIMS CEO Paul Hardisty.

The level of hard coral cover – that is, the proportion of reef covered with living coral – reached 33 percent in the central part of the reef and 36 percent in the northern part. This may not seem like a big number at first glance, but even this shows that the reef is still alive and resilient and can even recover from disturbances, said AIMS senior researcher Mike Emsley.