Australia's Great Barrier Reef Experiences Largest Coral Reef Reduction

The reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. (Wikimedia Commons/Wise Hok Wai Lum)

JAKARTA - Australia's Great Barrier Reef has seen the largest decline in coral caps in two of its three regions over the past year, according to research released on Wednesday, following mass bleaching of corals which was among the worst ever recorded.

The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) stated that the coral reefs have experienced the largest annual decline in coral cover in its northern and southern regions since monitoring began 39 years ago, with coral caps falling between a quarter and a third after several years of solid growth.

"We are now seeing an increase in volatility in the level of hard coral cover," said Mike Emputlie, head of the institute's long-term monitoring program.

"This is a phenomenon that has emerged over the past 15 years and shows an ecosystem that is under pressure," he added.

This coral reef, the world's largest living ecosystem, stretches about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) off the coast of Queensland State in the north.

Since 2016, these coral reefs have been bleaching mass corals for five summers, when most coral reefs have turned white due to hot pressure, increasing the risk of death.

The coral reefs experienced the worst summer ever recorded in 2024, when the world experienced a rare global mass coral bleaching event that affected dozens of countries, quoted by CNN.

The rise in water temperatures combined with the El Maritime weather pattern has caused stressed corals to emit gas and lose their colors.

It is known that the Great Barrier Reef is currently not on the list of endangered UNESCO world heritage sites, although the United Nations recommends that the site be added.

With an area of nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals.

Australia itself has lobbied for years to keep the coral reef - which accounts for A$6.4 billion for the economy annually - from a endangered list, as it could damage tourism.

Severe mass decays in the Great Barrier Reef have previously been observed in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. Karang can recover from bleaching if the temperature returns to normal, but will become extinct if the water remains warmer than usual.

The water temperature jumped again earlier this year during the summer in Australia, peaked in March and caused more severe coral bleaching, although the impact has not been fully measured and was not included in this report.