The Long-Term Monitoring Program team surveyed 94 reefs over 120 days at sea across the Great Barrier Reef.
AIMS’ Annual Summary Report on Coral Reef Condition for 2023/24 (published 7th August 2024) found that hard coral cover has increased in all three regions (Northern, Central and Southern), and is at regional highs in two of the three regions.
But most of the underwater surveys were conducted before and during the recent mass bleaching event, one of the most extensive and serious on record. As such, results don’t reflect how many corals survived or died following the bleaching.
Surveys in the Central region were also completed before the passage of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which caused heavy localised flooding.
Our Long-Term Monitoring Program team will be back in the water in September to re-survey the Reef, which will begin to reveal the impacts from this summer.
Read the report: https://www.aims.gov.au/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/gbr-condition-summary-2023-24
More about the AIMS Long-term Monitoring Program: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/monitoring-and-discovery/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/long-term-monitoring-program
#GreatBarrierReef #MarineScience #Monitoring
