“The overall future outlook for the Great Barrier Reef is ‘very poor’[the lowest possible rating],” Poiner said.
Before the authority’s previous outlook report in 2019,the reef was hit with mass coral bleaching events in 1998,2002,2016,2017. In the five years since then,there were three mass bleaching events – in 2020,2022 and in the summer of 2024.
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Poiner said “urgent national and global action” to reduce warming was the only way to limit the escalating effects of climate change. Bleaching events are now occurring so frequently that corals have less and less time to recover.
“It is imperative that everything possible is done to create recovery windows for the reef,” the report said.
Queensland marine tourism is estimated to be worth $36 billion a year,generating more than 200,000 jobs.
The outlook report said the reef provided a living for hundreds of thousands of people,making a significant contribution to the state and national economies. It found that a healthy reef boosted the mental and physical health of people who interacted with it and contributed to Australia’s national identity.