New research reveals that the Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral in the past 27 years. The reef is, of course, one of Queensland’s biggest drawcards for grey nomads and other tourists and the speed of its decline will send shockwaves through the state and beyond. Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science analysed data which has been collected since surveillance began in 1985 to draw their conclusions. The researchers claim 48% of damage to the reef as been caused by storms, 42% by crown of thorns starfish, and 10% by coral bleaching.
“If the trend continued, coral cover could halve again by 2022,” said Institute research fellow, Dr Peter Doherty. However, he noted with interest that the pattern of decline varied among regions. “In the northern Great Barrier Reef coral cover has remained relatively stable,” Dr Doherty said. “Whereas in the southern regions e see the most dramatic loss of coral, particularly over the last decade when storms have devastated many reefs.”
According to the Toowoomba Chronicle, the study showed tropical cyclones were the biggest cause of damage in the central and southern reaches of the reef; while the starfish had damaged coral throughout the reef. Institute chief executive John Gunn told the paper that while the storms could not be stopped, more could be done to reduce the impact of the starfish.
“It’s already clear that one important factor is water quality,” he said. “And we plan to explore options for more direct intervention on this native pest.”
Study co-author Dr Hugh Sweatman said the recovery from such damage would take between 10 and 20 years.
“At present, the intervals between the disturbances are generally too short for full recovery and that’s causing the long-term losses,” he said.
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