Professor Terry Hughes, head of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, told the ABC the NOAA’s predictions could change. Scientists and the World Wildlife Foundation have also criticised the foundation’s managing director Anna Marsden’s claim its activities “essentially ensure we can climate proof our coral reefs”. The government copped flak when it was revealed the foundation did not ask for the funds and no tender process occurred. The government has been criticised after announcing in April it would gift $444 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to implement conservation programs including water quality improvements to make the reef more “resilient” to climate change.
The Morrison government recently abandoned plans for a $10 million campaign promoting the Great Barrier Reef’s future after public criticism of climate change inaction.įormer prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is due to meet with members of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in Bali to represent Australia at the Our Ocean conference starting on October 29. “We need to be developing restoration techniques that are useful and successful or we won’t have a diverse community in the Great Barrier Reef in 10 to 20 years,” Dr Cantin said. He said the faster frequency of coral bleaching had prompted research to turn to “reef restoration” and intervention approaches such as coral spawning – a significant shift from traditional coral reef mapping. Another 20 per cent was lost in 2017 when unnaturally hot ocean water destroyed the reef’s algae, leaving the coral to starve.Īustralian Institute of Marine Science coral biologist Neal Cantin told The New Daily if the NOAA warning came to fruition, it would be the third major coral bleaching event in the last four years.īut Dr Cantin, who is leading a response to coral bleaching, said it is “way too early” to know if coral bleaching would occur this summer but said scientists are watching the situation closely.
Thirty per cent of the reef’s coral perished in 2016. The US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast for the Great Barrier Reef. There is also a 90 per cent chance of a lower level coral bleaching.
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