Climate change and the health of the Great Barrier Reef is front and centre ahead of the Federal Election with authorities stating the Reef has

The Reef Snapshot: Summer 2024–25 (pdf), published today by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, states:

Results of aerial surveys and in-water monitoring to date suggest the Reef has experienced widespread coral bleaching across the Far Northern and Northern regions of the Marine Park — mostly a result of prolonged exposure to higher-than-average water temperatures.

This event is the sixth since 2016 and, while less extensive than the coral bleaching event in 2023–24, it is the second time the Reef has experienced widespread bleaching events across consecutive summers.

Officially, Australia’s international treasure suffered mass coral bleaching in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2024.