Coral reefs have exceptional levels of biodiversity and provide important social and ecological services, including food, coastal protection, recreation, tourism, and cultural connections. However, local stressors and climate change are causing a sharp decline in coral reefs and the more than 230 international agreements with coral reef provisions have failed …
The Australian environment minister, Greg Hunt, has approved a $16.5bn resources project that will lead to the creation of the largest coal mine in Australia, and one of the largest in the world. Hunt has imposed 36 conditions, primarily aimed at protecting groundwater, on the Carmichael coal mine and rail …
Coral reef expert says 'damning' report found coal dust had spread hundreds of kilometres from dredging sites Coal dust has spread throughout the Great Barrier Reef and exceeds toxic levels near the shore, a Senate inquiry has heard. Senators are touring Queensland this week to examine how the Australian and …
Australian Institute of Marine Science says the government report on the Barrier Reef focuses on positive conclusions Australia’s marine research agency has warned that the government has downplayed the declining health of the Great Barrier Reef and there is “clear potential for conflicts of interest” in development decisions. The Australian …
Coral faces a heightened risk of fatal disease if the seabed near it is dug up, according to a landmark study that will reignite the debate over whether dredging projects near the Great Barrier Reef should take place. The research, conducted by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef …
In recent decades, coral reef ecosystems have declined to the extent that reefs are now threatened globally. While many water quality parameters have been proposed to contribute to reef declines, little evidence exists conclusively linking specific water quality parameters with increased disease prevalence in situ. Here we report evidence from …
The amount of money needed to “offset” the impact of a dredging project on the Great Barrier Reef could be as much as $1bn – which is $998m more than the project developer has suggested. Documents obtained under freedom of information reveal huge uncertainty over the investment needed to maintain …
They are the glimmering jewels in the depths of our oceans, but plant-eating tropical fish are beginning to threaten Australia's forests under the sea. Climate-driven changes are causing the fish to extend their range into temperate regions, threatening kelp forests and seagrass meadows, a study from the University of NSW …
Queensland scientists say research has shown rises in sea temperature for past 150 years has been linked to mass coral death The Great Barrier Reef is set to be ravaged by the expected El Niño weather phenomenon and scientists warn that similar warming events have significantly impacted upon the reef’s …
Most coral reefs in the Caribbean could vanish in the next two decades, hit by the loss of fish and sea urchins that eat a slime of coral-smothering algae, a U.N.-backed study said on Wednesday. The review, the most comprehensive to date of Caribbean reefs that are vital tourist attractions …
The people of Palau, a small island nation in the northwestern Pacific, have long realized that the health and prosperity of their nation depends on the ocean. Because of this realization, Palauans have always worked to protect their ocean resources. That’s why Palau has drawn the world’s top scientists and …
Many of the Caribbean's coral reefs could vanish in the next 20 years, according to a report published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Data from more than 35,000 surveys suggests that habitats have declined by more than 50% since the 1970s. The report's authors believe …
Dumped dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park could travel further than previously thought, affecting coral. Three million cubic metres of dredge spoil will be dumped in waters 20km from the reef following a Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) decision on the expansion of the Abbot …
The Caribbean is a sprawling sea of deep nutrient-poor waters punctuated by great oases of biomass production and diversity of species, otherwise known as coral reefs. These reef systems circumscribe the shallow seafloor surrounding islands and delimit the continental shelf edge abutting contiguous landmasses: They also populate sunken and receding …
Officers within the organisation were worried the Great Keppel Island eco-tourism resort could harm water quality and coral The Great Barrier Reef marine park authority identified serious reef health concerns related to a large marina development it later approved, according to the ABC. The marina is part of a $600m …
Anemonefish, Amphiprion melanopus, in their nest on the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland. Disquiet is growing over the destruction of their coral-based habitat The UN has expressed concern about Australia’s management of the Great Barrier Reef amid growing international pressure against industrial developments that conservationists say are threatening the world’s …
The UN has expressed alarm at Australia’s proposal to dump 3m cubic metres of dredged material into the Great Barrier Reef world heritage site, saying the development could place the site on Unesco’s list of shame. The Australian and Queensland governments have granted approval for dumping as part of the …
The US plans to create the world's biggest marine protected area (MPA) in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The White House will extend an existing protected area, known as the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Fishing and drilling would be banned from an area that could eventually cover …
Climate change is a growing threat to tourism, from thawing ski resorts to coral reefs hit by warmer seas, and the industry itself should do more to curb its soaring greenhouse gas emissions, a new study shows. Tourism's greenhouse gas emissions, on current rising trends buoyed by ever more travel, …
Signs of improving water quality on the Great Barrier Reef will keep the iconic natural wonder off a list of world heritage sites considered "in danger", Environment Minister Greg Hunt says. The federal and Queensland governments have released a 2012-13 report card on the water quality problems plaguing the reef, …
The 2014 edition of World Bank’s Little Green Data Book released on World Environment Day 2014, includes a new indicator called change in wealth per capita for more than 200 countries. According to data compiled by this report, global rate of the natural wealth depletion in a year is 45 …