Warming of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Bleaching

Context: Recent studies indicate that water temperatures in and around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are currently the highest they have been in the past 400 years, according to research published in the Nature Journal.

• Researchers observed stable temperatures before 1900, with a significant increase in warming after 1900, attributed to human activities.
• Record-high temperatures have led to widespread coral bleaching events in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
• Projections suggest that 70%-90% of coral reefs could be lost even with the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and future coral reefs may exhibit reduced species diversity.

The Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, consisting of approximately 2,500 individual reefs and 900 islands. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.
• Located in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia, the reef extends in a north-south direction, running roughly parallel to the mainland, south of the Torres Strait.