An Australian Icon: The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is a living thing – precious and fragile. It’s the only living thing on earth that is visible from space. Climate change and the fossil fuel industry have been constant threats to the Great Barrier Reef and it needs protecting now more than ever.
We call on the Australian Federal Government to protect the Great Barrier Reef from the impacts of climate change by replacing all coal-burning power stations with clean and safe renewable energy by 2030 and committing to net-zero by 2035.
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The problem
Australia’s beautiful Great Barrier Reef is under threat and in a state of emergency. As much as half of the Reef may be dead following back to back coral bleaching events in recent years.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most remarkable ecosystems on the planet, but the changing climate of the Great Barrier Reef poses significant challenges to its health and survival.
Why is the Reef’s coral bleaching?
The climate of the Great Barrier Reef is heavily influenced by rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events. These factors contribute to coral bleaching and threaten the vibrant marine life that calls the reef home. Conservation efforts focus on mitigating climate impacts and preserving this World Heritage site for future generations.
Tiny algae live in the tissue of coral providing it with food, and also giving coral its colour. As the ocean absorbs more and more CO2 from the atmosphere, ocean temperatures and acidity levels in the water rise. The algae become stressed and leave the coral – taking with it the coral’s source of food and its colour. The coral turns white and ‘bleaches’.
Biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is an irreplaceable, natural wonder of the world. It is home to more than 1500 species of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins, and 133 species of sharks and rays.
These unique creatures, some found only in the Great Barrier Reef’s waters, depend on this complex marine ecosystem for survival. If the Reef dies – where can they go?
Frequently asked questions about the Great Barrier Reef
We ‘ve been documenting the recent impact of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef corals – and it ‘s devastating. We released footage showing the extent and severity of the ongoing bleaching event. With this, we want to raise awareness of what is happening to this vital and fragile living organism. It should be a wake-up call for everyone, especially our governments, to finally put the brakes on fossil fuel industry development.
In Australia, we are campaigning for a ban on new coal projects as a first step towards a fossil fuel phase-out. The science is clear: we cannot limit global warming below 1.5°c if we continue to open new fossil fuel projects. Globally, Greenpeace is campaigning to stop all new fossil fuel projects and phase out the existing projects while transitioning to a renewable energy future.
This is the only option to save coral reefs globally, like the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is in a state of emergency. In 2016, the Great Barrier Reef experienced the worst mass coral bleaching event on record in the Northern third of the reef with more than 60% of corals experiencing some level of bleaching and an overall coral mortality across the whole reef of 22%. The central third of the reef experienced a subsequent bleaching event in 2017. Only a few years later, the second most severe mass coral bleaching event occurred across a widespread area in 2020. Concerningly, another mass coral bleaching event took place in 2022 during a La Niña summer.
Yet despite insufficient protection from climate change and increasingly frequent mass bleaching events, UNESCO ‘s recent draft decision did not declare this World Heritage site as “in danger”.
Coral bleaching occurs when ocean temperature rises and causes stress to the corals. They then expel the zooxanthellae algae that live within their skeleton, giving them their vibrant colour and with whom they share a symbiotic relationship. Without the zooxanthellae, the corals not only lose their colour and show their bleach-white skeleton, but they also lose their source of food. If warmer temperatures persist, the corals starve and die.
No, bleached corals are not dead – yet. Corals can survive bleaching events if temperatures do not remain high for extended periods of time allowing the corals to recover. However, this stress is likely to cause decreased coral growth and reproduction, and increased susceptibility to disease. Coral reefs can take decades to recover from a bleaching event.
The climate plays a critical role in the reef’s ecosystem. Rising temperatures and increasing ocean acidity caused by climate change are endangering coral reefs and the diverse marine species they support.
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