The Great Barrier Reef is showing signs of recovery

 

Agneta Elmegård

 

Published 09.21

 

Research shows that the Great Barrier Reef has a significant capacity for recovery when conditions improve. If the water temperature drops in time, corals can recover. Photo: AP

The corals at the Great Barrier Reef are showing signs of recovery for the first time in a long time.

Paradoxically, behind the turnaround are the summer's severe storms.

Cyclones and monsoon rains have brought clouds that dampened the heat in the sea.

Tropical cyclones, torrential rains and monsoon rains have moved over the Great Barrier Reef during the Australian summer. The storms have brought with them an unexpectedly positive effect on the unique marine environment. Cloud cover has cooled the water and the latest measurements from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) show that coral cover on the reef has largely recovered from the extensive bleaching reported last year, writes The Times.

Thanks to the increased cloud cover, solar radiation decreased and dampened the build-up of heat stress, according to the authority. At the same time, other areas were exposed to prolonged high sea temperatures.

Several tough years

The optimistic assessment of the reef's survival is welcomed by AIMS, which at the same time warns that the threat from climate change must not be ignored.

- We absolutely cannot take this for granted. Instead, we must act urgently to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and limit climate change, marine scientist Peter Ridd tells The Times.

The news of recovery comes after several tough years. In the summer of 2024, the Great Barrier Reef was hit by the most geographically extensive mass bleaching event ever recorded. The following year, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) reported significant declines in coral cover, with the northern part losing about 25 percent and the southern part losing more than 30 percent compared to the previous year. Extreme heat was the main cause, but cyclones and the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish also contributed.