Climate change and the health of the Great Barrier Reef is front and centre ahead of the Federal Election with authorities stating the Reef has suffered widespread coral bleaching for the second year in a row with climate change “the greatest threat to the Reef”.
Back-to-back widespread bleaching has occurred only once before in the years 2016 and 2017.
The Reef Snapshot: Summer 2024–25, published today by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, states:
Results of aerial surveys and in-water monitoring to date suggest the Reef has experienced widespread coral bleaching across the Far Northern and Northern regions of the Marine Park — mostly a result of prolonged exposure to higher-than-average water temperatures.
This event is the sixth since 2016 and, while less extensive than the coral bleaching event in 2023–24, it is the second time the Reef has experienced widespread bleaching events across consecutive summers.
Officially, Australia’s international treasure suffered mass coral bleaching in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
The Reef Snapshot says there have been widespread impacts in the shallows of reefs across the Far Northern and Northern regions:
Forty-one per cent of the 162 inshore and mid-shelf reefs surveyed recorded medium to high bleaching prevalence.
The majority (99 per cent) of the 96 offshore reefs surveyed recorded low to medium bleaching prevalence. The higher levels of coral bleaching were more frequently recorded on reefs surveyed from Cooktown to Cape York.
Only nine per cent of the 258 reefs surveyed in the Marine Park had very high prevalence of coral bleaching and no reefs surveyed had extremely high bleaching prevalence.
© Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, and CSIRO, 2025, Reef Snapshot: Summer 2024–25, Reef Authority, Townsville.
World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia Head of Oceans Richard Leck said it was distressing news.
“The Reef is crying out for climate action. Bleaching is becoming the new normal. It’s the sixth time the Reef has experienced widespread bleaching in less than a decade. Year after year the Reef is being cooked by underwater heatwaves.
“It’s our international treasure and it desperately needs serious action to drive down emissions.
“The next term of government could be the last opportunity to give our Reef a fighting chance,” Mr Leck said.
A WWF election survey released today shows the environment policies of the major parties fail to adequately address the climate and nature crises.
“WWF calls on the next Australian government to do everything it can to protect our most precious natural icon,” Mr Leck said.
Contact details:
Mark Symons
Senior Media Officer, WWF-Australia
m 0400 985 571