Great Barrier Reef bursting back to life
But experts say return to health is part of a ‘boom and bust’ growth cycle and more needs to be done
The Great Barrier Reef is bursting back to life after being damaged by warming waters, an investigation has revealed. Scientists revealed that the northern and central parts of the reef, which stretches for nearly 1,500 miles along Australia’s Queensland coast, now have the highest amount of coral cover since monitoring began 36 years ago. The reason for the sudden recovery is not known, but it suggests the ecosystem has much greater resilience and ability to recover than previously understood.
AUSTRALIA’S Great Barrier Reef is bursting back to life in a remarkable comeback after being damaged by warming waters, an investigation has revealed.
The World Heritage-listed marine park site currently has its greatest coral cover in decades – but experts cautioned that the regrowth was made up largely of a common, fast-growing but weak genus known as Acropora that could easily be lost.
Acropora has branching colonies that resemble staghorns and can grow in thickets covering large areas in a variety of colours. It also plays a key role in reef building, providing a large percentage of the calcium carbonate structure, and is tied to the colourful images of the Great Barrier Reef that are frequently displayed on postcards. However, it is particularly vulnerable to storms and crown-of-thorns starfish, which feed on coral, and often grows in “boom and bust” cycles.
The reef, which stretches for nearly 1,500 miles (2,400km) along Australia’s Queensland coast, has been badly affected by climate change in recent years and has suffered a series of “mass bleaching” events, where stressed coral turns white.
Yet scientists revealed yesterday that the northern and central parts of the reef now have the most coral cover since monitoring began 36 years ago.
The reason for the reef ’s sudden recovery is not known, but it suggests the ecosystem has much greater resilience and ability to recover than previously understood.
It may have been helped by a relatively quiet period in terms of cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish, meaning the recovery could be undone by further disturbances.
Dr Mike Emslie, the research programme leader, said the results were “good news” but that there were still major worries about the reef ’s health.
Terry Hughes, a marine scientist, said that replacing the large, old, slowgrowing corals that had previously defined the reef was likely “no longer possible”. “Instead we’re seeing partial reassembly of fast-growing, weedy corals before the next disturbance.”
Dr Paul Hardisty, chief executive of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, said: “These latest results demonstrate the reef can still recover in periods free of intense disturbances.”
But he also warned that the increased frequency of mass coral bleaching caused by climate change was “uncharted territory” for the reef and that a bleaching event earlier this year was the first to occur during a La Niña weather pattern.
Dr Maxine Newlands of Queensland’s James Cook University said the reef ’s survival depended on a delicate balancing act. “Politicians and policymakers cannot see this as a sign of a recovered reef but as an indicator that more needs to be done,” she insisted.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most spectacular marine environments and in pre-pandemic times attracted thousands of tourists a year. It creates an estimated 64,000 jobs and generates nearly £3.5billion a year for the Australian economy.
The reef has been World Heritagelisted for the past 40 years because of its scientific significance as one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
But officials from Unesco’s World Heritage Committee, which inspected the reef earlier this year, have accused Australian authorities of not doing enough to protect it.
There are fears the reef could be listed as “in danger”, which would reflect poorly on Australia’s environmental credentials and damage the image of one the country’s prime tourist attractions.
‘Politicians cannot see this as a recovered reef but a sign that more needs to be done’