Studienreport des Australian Institute of Marine Science, 6.8.2025 (engl. Original)
Hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef has declined substantially from the high levels of recent years back to near long-term average levels, underscoring a new level of volatility, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s (AIMS) annual survey report of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef has experienced the largest annual decline in coral cover in two of the three regions since AIMS began monitoring 39 years ago. This was predominantly driven by climate change-induced heat stress leading to coral mortality from the 2024 mass bleaching event, but also by the impacts of cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
Coral cover dropped over the year:
- in the northern region (Cape York to Cooktown) by a quarter (from 39.8% to 30%)
- in the central region (Cooktown to Proserpine) by 13.9% (from 33.2% to 28.6%)
- in the southern region (Proserpine to Gladstone) by almost one third (from 38.9% to 26.9%.)
AIMS LTMP leader Dr Mike Emslie said the effects of the substantial losses in regional hard coral cover were cushioned by the record high levels before the bleaching.
“This year’s record losses in hard coral cover came off a high base, thanks to the record high of recent years,” he said.
“We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover. This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress. We have seen coral cover oscillate between record lows and record highs in a relatively short amount of time, where previously such fluctuations were moderate."
Den Bericht finden Sie hier.