Great Barrier Reef Suffers Worst Coral Mortality Ever Recorded

Sydney. Parts of the Great Barrier Reef are suffering the worst coral mortality ever recorded, according to research published by Australian scientists who fear other sections of the reef have suffered the same fate.

The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences indicated that studies carried out in 12 sections of the Great Barrier Reef found a mortality of up to 72 percent of corals due to a mass bleaching episode and two cyclones.

Often described as the largest living structure in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300 kilometer long reef that is home to a wide range of biodiversity.

But repeated episodes of bleaching threaten to take away the charm of this tourist attraction, turning its colorful and vibrant corals into pale lifeless structures.

These episodes occur when increased temperatures lead corals to expel the microscopic algae that give them color in order to survive.

In the past eight years, five mass bleaching events have been recorded on the reef, the most recent of which was in 2024.

Australian researcher Mike Emslie told the ABC public channel that last summer’s incident has been one of the most serious and that the thermal stress levels of the coral exceeded those of previous episodes.

It is a serious impact. And there are considerable losseshe stated.

point of no return

WWF-Australia’s oceans manager, Richard Leck, said these preliminary studies confirmed his worst fears.

The Great Barrier Reef can recover, but there are limits to its resiliencehe declared. She can’t be hit like this repeatedly. We are rapidly approaching the point of no returnhe added.

Leck explained that the area investigated was relatively small and fears that when the full report is released next year “similar levels of mortality” will be observed.

For him, this event reiterates Australia’s need to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2035 compared to their 2005 levels.

The country is one of the world’s leading exporters of gas and coal and until recently had not set any goals to achieve carbon neutrality.