It was another difficult summer on the Great Barrier Reef. A serious marine heatwave caused the fifth mass coral bleaching event since 2016. Intense rain from Cyclone Jasper washed huge volumes of freshwater and sediment onto corals closer to shore, and Cyclone Kirrily crossed the central region. Some parts of the southern reef endured heat stress at levels higher than previously measured.
Has this summer’s bleaching killed many corals on the Barrier Reef – or will they recover? The answer is – we don’t know yet. In the latest Australian Institute of Marine Science coral cover report, released today, we report coral cover has increased slightly in all three regions, reaching regional high points in two of them.
