The Latest Breaking News from the Great Barrier Reef

Why you should book a holiday to Ningaloo, Australia’s ‘other reef’

Deserted beaches, untouched coastline and the chance to swim with ‘megafauna’: it’s well worth swapping the Great Barrier Reef for a trip to its less flashy west-coast sister, finds Fiona McIntosh

The Independent UK · Nov 9, 2023

Experts celebrate enormous bounds in reef restoration

Experts behind a new survival kit for the Great Barrier Reef say they've achieved monumental leaps that will help coral reefs worldwide endure climate change.

AAP · Oct 25, 2023

Young crown-of-thorns starfish can survive heatwaves. That's yet more bad news for the Great Barrier Reef

You might not realise it, but the infamous crown-of-thorns starfish is native to coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific – including the Great Barrier Reef. When they’re fully grown, these large, thorn-covered starfish dine on hard coral polyps.

The Conversation · Oct 18, 2023

There's a hidden source of excess nutrients suffocating the Great Barrier Reef. We found it

The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most important environmental and economic assets. It is estimated to contribute A$56 billion per year and supports about 64,000 full-time jobs, according to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. However, the reef is under increasing pressure.

The Conversation · Oct 8, 2023

Groundwater a significant source of pollution on Great Barrier Reef, study shows

New research casts doubt on effectiveness of targeting surface runoff only and highlights need to use fertilisers more efficiently, experts say

The Guardian - AU · Oct 8, 2023

Major new threat to Great Barrier Reef identified

Yet another serious threat to the Great Barrier Reef has emerged - invisible flows of groundwater that are dumping harmful nutrients into the fragile ecosystem.

AAP · Oct 8, 2023

We should use Australia's environment laws to protect our 'living wonders' from new coal and gas projects

From Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef in the North, to the Snowy Mountains in the Southeast, and jarrah and marri forests in the Southwest, Australia is home to incredibly diverse ecosystems. Many of our plants, animals, birds and fish are found nowhere else in the world.

The Conversation · Sep 27, 2023

Dugongs in steady decline along Great Barrier Reef

Dugong numbers are shrinking over a vast area of the Great Barrier Reef and it's been happening for almost 20 years, scientists say.

AAP · Sep 27, 2023

The intergenerational report says climate is a ‘profound’ risk to Australia. But the full picture may be even worse

The IGR released by treasurer Jim Chalmers excludes drought, heatwaves and the Great Barrier Reef

The Guardian - AU · Aug 24, 2023

Accelerated evolution and automated aquaculture could help coral weather the heat

Coral on the Great Barrier Reef has regrown strongly after the big losses of 2016 and 2017, when water temperatures were significantly above the long-term average. While this is good news, it’s largely luck. The reef experienced mass bleaching in 2020 and 2022, but temperatures cooled just in time to…

The Conversation · Aug 10, 2023