400-year temperature record shows catastrophe for Great Barrier Reef
According to new research led by UOW Research Fellow Dr Benjamin Henley, the Great Barrier Reef is under critical pressure, with warming sea temperatures and mass coral bleaching events threatening to destroy the remarkable ecology, biodiversity and beauty of the world's largest coral reef.
University of Wollongong researchers, including marine scientists and climate experts, analysed coral cores to build a 400-year temperature record of the Great Barrier Reef. Their work demonstrated that recent warming far exceeds natural variability, correlating with increased coral bleaching and reef degradation.
Professor Helen McGregor from the School of Science was the second author of the study. "The Great Barrier Reef is facing catastrophe if anthropogenic climate change is not immediately addressed,” Professor McGregor said. “The very corals that have lived for hundreds of years and that gave us the data for our study are themselves under serious threat.”
The research, published in the world-leading scientific journal Nature, has equipped policymakers with crucial evidence to pursue deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions internationally, emphasising the urgent need for emissions reductions and reef protection policies. The study’s evidence base supports advocacy for sustainable marine management and has influenced global climate negotiations focused on preserving vulnerable ecosystems.
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