1 August 2025
A new report from the Climate Change Authority shows the urgency of action on climate if we want to preserve one of Australia’s most iconic tourism destinations and natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef.
Understanding climate threats to the Great Barrier Reef finds that: “Globally, coral reefs are projected to decline by 70 to 90% if climate warming remains at 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels for an extended period. At 2 °C of warming, up to 99% of corals may be lost or fundamentally altered”.
The findings highlight the need to aim for a science-aligned 2035 target as close to net zero as possible, or risk losing the reef, and other places Australians love.
The following experts are available to speak to the climate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Sean Kennedy: 0447 121 378 - [email protected]
For Amanda McKenzie and Dean Miller contact Jacqui Street on 0498 188 528 - [email protected]
Amanda McKenzie CEO of Climate Council said:
“This is an alarm bell on top of the sirens that reef scientists have been sounding after six mass bleaching events. The Great Barrier Reef will be in terminal decline without deep cuts to climate pollution this decade. The Albanese Government can help protect the Reef – and the communities and industries that depend on it – by setting the strongest possible 2035 climate target.
“The independent Climate Change Authority report backs up Climate Council research that shows we must keep warming as close to 1.5°C as possible for the Great Barrier Reef and other Australian reefs to have a fighting chance. That means investing in the shift away from polluting coal, oil and gas to maintain the Great Barrier Reef for our children and grandchildren.”
Dr Dean Miller, Climate Council Fellow, Director of Great Barrier Reef Legacy
Dean founded a not-for-profit created to address the urgent need to secure the long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef, and is the driving force behind a biobank which contains living samples of endangered species of hard coral from the Great Barrier Reef. Dr Miller is currently involved in research projects monitoring reef health and bleaching events, and he can talk about coral reef management and the impact that mass bleaching events has on the Reef and the tourism industry.
Location: Cairns/Port Douglas, QLD
Dr Ove Hoegh-Guldberg - Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland
Ove was Founding Director of the Global Change Institute and Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies, and Affiliated Professor in Tropical Marine Biology at the University of Copenhagen. Ove’s research focuses on the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems and is one of the most cited authors on climate change. Ove has had a 20-year history in leading research organisations such as the Centre for Marine Studies (including 3 major research stations over 2000-2009) and the Global Change Institute. He was one of the first scientists to identify the serious threat posed by climate change for coral reefs in a landmark paper published in 1999, which predicted the loss of coral reefs by 2050.
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Dr Stuart Kininmonth - University of Queensland, Manager Heron Island Research Station
Dr Kininmonth is a marine ecologist with over 20 years of field experience in marine and coral reef ecology. His research focuses on the complex interplay between social and natural systems, and explores the role of networks in the ecology and conservation planning of coral reefs. He has published 58 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and he has managed the Heron Island Research Station for over five years.
Location: Heron Island.
Tony Fontes, veteran Great Barrier Reef dive operator.
Tony can talk about the local tourism industry, about his 40-plus years’ experience diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and share first-hand accounts of the climate impacts he has witnessed over the many years that he has worked on the Reef.
Location: Brisbane/Whitsundays, QLD
Dr Yolanda Waters, Founder of Divers for Climate
Yolanda is a dive instructor turned marine social scientist at the University of Queensland, and Founder of community-led initiative Divers for Climate. She has completed a PhD in climate change communication which explores the diverse connections between people and the Reef and how it can help strengthen public engagement with climate change. Yolanda has interviewed thousands of Australians about their perceptions of climate threats to the Reef, discovering that the GBR is a powerful tool to motivate complex conversations around climate action.
Location: Brisbane/Cairns, QLD (currently in Sydney, but Divers for Climate also has a spokesperson in Cairns)
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Contact details:
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Sean Kennedy: 0447 121 378 - [email protected]
For Amanda McKenzie and Dean Miller contact Jacqui Street on 0498 188 528 - [email protected]