The beautiful, blue water off the north-eastern coast of Australia is home to an abundance of marine life. Across 344,400 square kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef complex and makes up about ten per cent of all the world's coral reef ecosystems. At the same time, it is a multibillion-dollar economic resource that supports about 64,000 full-time jobs in tourism and other industries.
Sadly, this wonderful underwater world is under threat from climate change. Higher temperatures, rising water acidity and an invasive species of starfish are putting the whole ecosystem under stress, making the coral more vulnerable to "bleaching" — a whitening effect. Since 1998, at least six mass bleaching events have led to a significant loss of coral coverage across the Great Barrier Reef. Globally, about 50 per cent of coral has been lost since 1950.
This situation has recently led a UN delegation to recommend adding the Great Barrier Reef to the "In Danger" list. Since a new federal government was elected in May 2022, Australia has (finally) set serious climate targets — including the goal of net zero by 2050. It's not clear whether that will be enough to save the reef.