Report warns: Humanity is destroying the Great Barrier Reef

The report was released by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and confirms what scientists have long known: humanity is destroying the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs around the world because it is failing to curb the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Earlier this year I visited parts of the southern Great Barrier Reef where massive coral bleaching and death had just occurred. The sight was devastating. Huge expanses of coral had been bleached a ghostly white, interspersed with bright flashes of pink and blue light: a final, heartbreaking release of coral pigment as the organism made a last desperate attempt to survive. I have since learned that much of this coral has now died.

Climate change is not the only threat

According to the report, climate-related disturbances are exacerbating the impacts of other chronic damage to the reef through:

• unsustainable fishing
• pollution
• Sediment runoff
• Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.

Other key findings of the report included:

• Most sea turtle populations have declined
• Species such as seabirds, sharks, rays, dugongs and seagrasses have recovered in some areas, but have stagnated or declined in others.
• Populations of saltwater crocodiles are recovering
• Many species are in decline and are on the list of endangered or protected species.

Strong leadership is needed

I first visited the Great Barrier Reef in 1980 as a student and my interest in it has never waned. It is one of those incredible natural wonders that defies description.

The reef's listing on the World Heritage List is testament to its outstanding global value. Australians love and are proud of this vast and stunning place. The reef supports the livelihoods and wellbeing of many people, including the Traditional Owners who have cared for it for thousands of generations. It sustains us all: economically, culturally and spiritually.

You may see a photo of healthy-looking coral and think the reef must be fine. But I have seen the problem firsthand for many years. The reef is suffering greatly – and every fraction of a degree of global warming worsens the damage.

Humanity must take urgent action to limit global temperature rise. But we are failing. We are failing the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs around the world.

There was a time when governments and reef managers were unwilling to admit the scale of the problem. I don't think that is the case today. As the report states:

2024 marks the beginning of a new chapter for the reef. Future warming, already written into the climate system, means further deterioration is inevitable. This is the sobering bill of climate change.

Climate change is a global problem, but Australia is undeniably part of it. If we are to save the Great Barrier Reef, this country cannot export fossil fuels to burn overseas. Tackling this problem requires strong political leadership, from the Prime Minister down.

Humanity has all the facts in front of it. The Earth is in an unprecedented time of rapid change. If we do not respond, we will lose the Great Barrier Reef.

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor, School of the Environment, University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.