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The Latest Breaking News from the Great Barrier Reef

Heatwave, disease 'catastrophic' combo for hardy corals

A sturdy type of coral that usually withstands bleaching has been hit hard by a combination of heat stress and a disease rarely seen in the Great Barrier Reef.

AAP

We watched these coral colonies succumb to black band disease. 6 months later, 75% were dead

During the last global coral bleaching event in 2023 and 2024 , the Great Barrier Reef experienced the highest temperatures for centuries and widespread bleaching. With bleaching events becoming more frequent, the very existence of coral reefs is under threat.

The Conversation

HMS Pandora is Australia’s most scientifically excavated shipwreck – yet it still holds secrets

In 1791, the British naval vessel HMS Pandora sank on the Great Barrier Reef while pursuing the mutineers from the HMS Bounty. The mutineers, led by Christian Fletcher, staged an uprising against their captain Lieutenant William Bligh in 1789, forcing Bligh and his supporters out to sea in a launch.

The Conversation

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Legal loopholes threaten reef, ex-Treasury boss warns

Closing well-known loopholes that allow widescale clearing of native vegetation is vital if the Great Barrier Reef is to be saved, a policy heavy-hitter warns.

AAP

Reef fate bleak, not fatal, under coral-centric models

The most comprehensive modelling to date paints a troubling portrait of the Great Barrier Reef under climate change, but finds adaptation is still possible.

AAP

Time running out for 'irreplaceable' $95b reef

The Great Barrier Reef is an ecological and economic jewel, but a growing body of research shows it will be lost without swift and decisive action.

AAP

For the first time, we linked a new fossil fuel project to hundreds of deaths. Here’s the impact of Woodside’s Scarborough gas project

Global warming from Woodside’s massive Scarborough gas project off Western Australia would lead to 484 additional heat-related deaths in Europe alone this century, and kill about 16 million additional corals on the Great Barrier Reef during each future mass bleaching event, our new research has revealed.

The Conversation

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Since 2020, 4 of Australia’s natural World Heritage properties have deteriorated

Since 2020, the conservation outlook has worsened for four of Australia’s 16 natural World Heritage properties – Ningaloo, Shark Bay, Purnululu National Park and the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites. This means 25% of our natural areas globally recognised as being significant are either in worse health or need better planning…

The Conversation

Half a century ago, the Great Barrier Reef was to be drilled for oil. It was saved – for a time

At the end of the 1960s, there was every expectation the Great Barrier Reef would be drilled for oil.

The Conversation

Botanical time machines: AI is unlocking a treasure trove of data held in herbarium collections

In 1770, after Captain Cook’s Endeavour struck the Great Barrier Reef and was held up for repairs, botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected hundreds of plants.

The Conversation

‘If the reef had a voice, it would sing’: could legal personhood help the Great Barrier Reef?

As the natural wonder faces mounting ecological threats, traditional owners and environmental lawyers are calling for a radical new approach

The Guardian - AU

Pretty bloomin’ what? The Great Barrier Reef is a picture of health, The Australian assures us

The News Corp broadsheet puts a Pollyannish spin on study that found a record decline in world’s largest coral reef. Plus: Grok goes woke

The Guardian - AU

Great Barrier Reef records largest annual coral loss in 39 years

Australian authorities say the Great Barrier Reef has experienced its greatest annual loss of live coral in four decades

The Independent UK

Great Barrier Reef sees sharpest annual coral decline in nearly four decades

Researchers say reef may reach a ‘point from which it cannot recover’

The Independent UK

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Al Jazeera

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching as oceans warm

New Australian government report finds coral decline across the reef due to ‘climate change-induced heat stress’.

International Business Times UK

Great Barrier Reef on the Brink: Australia's Natural Wonder Suffers Worst Coral Collapse in History

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has suffered its steepest coral cover decline in nearly four decades, with heatwaves, storms and starfish outbreaks pushing the World Heritage site towards an irreversible tipping point.

The Conversation

World’s biggest coral survey confirms sharp decline in Great Barrier Reef after heatwave

Official analysis of 124 reefs on the Great Barrier Reef shows coral cover has dropped sharply after a record-breaking marine heatwave in 2024, prompting grave fears over the trajectory of the natural wonder.

AAP

Coral coverage crashes after 'unheard of' heat events

Two of the Great Barrier Reef's three regions have recorded their sharpest declines in coral coverage in four decades as heat stress batters the living wonder.

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International Business Times

Great Barrier Reef Suffers Most Widespread Bleaching On Record

Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most widespread coral bleaching on record, according to a government report released Wednesday that warns the natural wonder is in dire health.

The Guardian - AU

Great Barrier Reef suffers biggest annual drop in live coral since 1980s after devastating coral bleaching

Researchers warn reef may reach tipping point where coral cannot recover fast enough between major catastrophic events

AAP

Ambitious emission targets best shot at saving the reef

"Deeper and faster" emissions reductions are key to preserving the Great Barrier Reef, a report says, as the federal government prepares its new 2035 targets.

Pedestrian.tv

How To Do An Adrenaline-Pumping Whitsundays Holiday ‘Cos It’s Not All Champagne & Caviar

Think of the Whitsundays and it’s easy to imagine luxe resorts, romantic honeymoons and the recently-popularised babymoon. Because of this high-end reputation, many locals can dismiss the Whitsundays as a place only reserved for newlyweds and retirees. Honestly, I was one of them. But now, post-Whitsundays adventure, I’m a total…

AAP

Report critical test of Great Barrier Reef's health

Conservationists have warned Australia is falling short on protecting the Great Barrier Reef as the nation prepares to table another report into its management.

Evening Standard

Sir David Attenborough reveals to Prince William he nearly drowned while scuba diving in 1950s

The near-death experience took place on the Great Barrier Reef when the broadcaster was 31

The Conversation

Will surging sea levels kill the Great Barrier Reef? Ancient coral fossils may hold the answer

In the 20th century, global sea level rose faster than at any other time in the past 3,000 years. It’s expected to rise even further by 2100, as human-induced climate change intensifies. In fact, some studies predict a rise of up to 1.6 metres and possibly more due to the…

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