The Great Barrier Reef will continue to degrade, mainly due to climate change, and the window to secure its future is rapidly closing. That’s the conclusion of a major new report on the state of the reef.
The report was released by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. It confirms what scientists have long known: humanity is destroying the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs around the world by failing to curb greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Earlier this year, I visited parts of the southern Great Barrier Reef where mass coral bleaching and death had occurred. The picture was devastating. Large sections of the coral had turned a ghostly white. It was dotted with bright flashes of pink and blue: a final, heartbreaking release of coral pigment as the organism makes a final attempt to survive. I have since learned that the vast majority of the coral is now dead.
Climate change is not the only threat
The report says climate-driven disturbances are exacerbating the effects of other long-term harm to the reef:
- Unsustainable fishing
- pollution
- Sediment runoff
- Crown of thorns starfish outbreak.
Other key findings of the report were:
- Most sea turtle populations are in decline
- Species such as seabirds, sharks, rays, dugongs and seagrasses have recovered in some areas and stagnated or declined in others
- Estuary crocodile population on the rise
- Many endangered species are listed as threatened or protected.
strong leadership is needed
I first visited the Great Barrier Reef as a university student in 1980. My interest in it has never waned. It is one of those incredible pieces of nature that is impossible to describe.
The Reef’s World Heritage listing is proof of its outstanding global value. Australians love and are proud of this vast and amazing place. The Reef supports the livelihoods and well-being of many people, including the Traditional Owners who have cared for it for thousands of generations. It supports us all economically, culturally and spiritually.
You might see a picture of healthy-looking corals and think the reef is in good shape. But I’ve seen this problem firsthand for years. The reef is suffering badly – and even a modicum of global warming exacerbates the damage.
Humanity must take urgent action to limit global temperature rise. But we are failing. We are failing the Great Barrier Reef and, indeed, coral reefs across the planet.
There was a time when governments and reef managers were unwilling to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. I don’t think that is the case anymore. As the report states:
2024 will open a new chapter for the Reef. Future warming is already locked into the climate system, meaning further degradation is inevitable. This is the grim math of climate change.
Climate change is a global problem, but Australia is undoubtedly part of it. This country cannot afford to export fossil fuels to be burned overseas if we want to save the Great Barrier Reef. Tackling this will require strong political leadership from the prime minister down.
Humanity has all the facts before it. The Earth is going through an unknown period of very rapid change. If we don’t react, we will lose the Great Barrier Reef.
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor, School of Environment, University of Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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