Home > Biodiversity, Climate breakdown, Conservation, Oceans and fisheries > Great Barrier Reef Has Seen Major Decline In Past 3 Decades

Great Barrier Reef Has Seen Major Decline In Past 3 Decades

New research is showing that Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s largest, is in steep decline, with half of the reef vanishing in the past 27 years. And the culprit? You guessed it. It seems our unending addiction to burning carbon is playing a big role. There are local impacts that are damaging the Reef, such as excessive nutrient run-off from agriculture, but changing ocean acidity and coral bleaching from rising ocean temperatures (due to climate change) are also wreaking havoc.

“This is a really grim wake-up call,” said John Bruno, a biologist at UNC Chapel Hill. “The GBR which only 10 years ago was considered the world’s most pristine and resilient coral reef is clearly not better off and no less threatened than any other reef.”

As for what can be done to save the reef, or what’s left of it, some say reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is key.

Read more here: Great Barrier Reef Has Seen Major Decline In Past 3 Decades.

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