A famous scuba diving spot popular with tourists has been closed “until the situation is resolved” after another “severe coral bleaching” event. It’s a problem that affects marine parks around the world, but here in Australia, coral bleaching and what to do about it has become a hot topic of debate among scientists and environmentalists. The Great Barrier Reef is currently facing unprecedented damage that could be caused by climate change.
A report released in April by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority found that more than half of the 1,000 reefs analyzed (more than 2,900 in total) had high, very high or extremely high levels of bleaching, while only a quarter were relatively unaffected.
Thai dive sites closed to tourists as Great Barrier Reef receives increased funding
It’s a problem that authorities have long struggled to address, and on Monday the federal government announced a $5 million boost to tourism operators protecting the reef. The funding offered a ray of hope, but shocking images recently released show that parts of the reef that had previously bleached and shown signs of regrowth are now dying again.
In Thailand, officials at Nopparat Thara National Park in Krabi province recently announced a temporary closure of tourism and diving activities due to “increasingly severe coral bleaching.” Major tourist spots including Koh Khai, Bat Bay, Koh Poda, Phuya Bay, Koh Daeng, Railay Bay and Koh Yava Sum have been closed to tourists until further notice.
Severe coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, photographed in March 2024. Credit: George Roff, CSIRO
The move reflects the devastating consequences of coral bleaching, which not only hits the natural environment but also the tourism industry around the world and the people who rely on it for income.
Authorities struggle to combat worsening problem
Despite high-profile funding announcements, bleaching events are actually becoming more severe and frequent: the reef is experiencing its fifth bleaching event in just eight years, with around 80% under heat stress; corals affected by previous bleaching events died within seven years.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Professor Terry Hughes of James Cook University said that despite the funding, “not much is going to change” on a regional scale. “None of these expensive magic solutions are reducing the vulnerability of the Great Barrier Reef to human-induced warming,” he previously said.
Senator Nita Green, special envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, agreed that it had been a “challenging summer for the reef.” “It is important that this program continues at this critical time to monitor and build resilience for the reef,” she said on Monday.
Tanya Plibersek says “everything we can do to protect” the Great Barrier Reef must be done, but conservationists have criticised the Government for continuing to approve new coal mines. Credit: George Roff, CSIRO/AAP
“Tourist operators are another set of eyes watching over the reefs – they’re in the water every day so they’re well suited to play this important monitoring and protection role. We’ve seen great results from this programme so far, which is why we’re pleased to see work continuing across the marine parks after a summer period when reefs experienced heat stress.”
Minister for Environment and Water Resources Tanya Plibersek insisted the government was committed to investing in the future of the reef. “We are excited to partner with tourism operators who will not only create jobs for Queenslanders but also help protect the environment,” she said.
“We are investing in reef resilience and restoration, using the latest science and technology to protect reefs, respond to the effects of climate change and provide valuable knowledge about long-term reef health.”
What is coral bleaching?
Corals are inhabited by microscopic algae called zooxanthellae, which live within their tissues and give the corals their vibrant color. If the seawater temperature rises by just 1 degree, the corals will feel stressed and expel the colored algae, causing the corals to appear bleached white.
Coral bleaching is affecting reefs around the world, including this one in Indonesia. Credit: Getty Images
Although “bleaching” does not immediately kill corals, without the algae they lose their primary source of nutrition, which often leads to them becoming ill and eventually dying. Warming ocean waters due to climate change are the main cause of bleaching, but low tides, agricultural runoff, and excessive sunlight are also known to be contributing factors.
Why are coral reefs important?
Coral reefs are home to thousands of marine species, including fish, sea turtles, seabirds, crabs, jellyfish, etc. When coral reefs die and the food chain collapses, humans are also affected, as industries such as fishing and tourism begin to collapse.
The world’s first mass bleaching event was recorded in the 1980s, but the event has become more frequent in the past two decades, leaving corals with no time to recover.
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