Australia’s Great Barrier Reef appears to be recovering, according to the latest figures from the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS). Scientists have watched the reef fade and die for years, but now new coral is growing in parts. The reef remains vulnerable.
The researchers looked at a total of 87 locations. They saw the greatest amount of coral cover in 36 years in the central and northern parts of the reef, AIMS’ annual report said. Hard coral coverage went to 33 and 36 percent respectively, from 26 and 27 percent last year.
“We see that the Great Barrier Reef is still very resilient. It can recover,” Mike Emslie, who is involved with the AIMS monitoring program, told Reuters.
Despite the accretion of new coral, the UNESCO-listed reef remains vulnerable. Scientists continue to warn of massive water bleaching due to climate change. They also say that the situation can change quickly.
In the southern part, the amount of coral cover decreased, from 38 percent in 2021 to 34 percent this year. Last year there was an improvement. “This shows how vulnerable the reef is to human disturbances, which are more common and longer lasting today,” said Paul Hardisty, CEO of AIMS.
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