The Australian Institute of Marine Science released its latest annual monitoring report on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem on the 6th, showing that two out of three areas of the Great Barrier Reef experienced the highest reduction in coral coverage in 39 years of monitoring. The organization is concerned that coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef may lead to difficulty in restoring coral growth as global warming intensifies. This is a drone photo of the Great Barrier Reef taken on June 2, 2021 in Queensland, Australia. The Australian Institute of Marine Science has been conducting comprehensive surveys of the Great Barrier Reef every year since 1986. The survey results from August 2024 to May 2025 show that the coral coverage area in the northern, southern, and central regions of the Great Barrier Reef has decreased by about a quarter, nearly a third, and about 14% respectively compared to the previous survey cycle. The loss rate in the northern and southern regions is the highest since the start of monitoring. The research institute said that the main reason for the significant reduction of corals is the high temperature caused by climate change, which leads to a large number of coral bleaching. In addition, cyclones and the sharp increase in the number of coral eating starfish are also important reasons. Before the 1990s, widespread coral bleaching was very rare, but it became more frequent with global warming. In 1998, this phenomenon first appeared in the Great Barrier Reef; The second occurrence occurred in 2002; It first appeared consecutively in 2016 and 2017, and large-scale coral bleaching occurred in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. The interval between these events is shortening, and the time for coral to recover is decreasing. Cyclones and crown starfish continue to cause widespread disappearance of corals. ”The research institute pointed out. The research institute said that in addition to worsening bleaching, the coral coverage area of the Great Barrier Reef has shown significant fluctuations in recent years. A few years ago, some fast-growing corals caused the coral coverage area of the Great Barrier Reef to rapidly increase to record levels. However, these corals are extremely fragile, and a harsh summer weather could undo years of growth. Mike Emsley, the head of the Long term Monitoring Program for the Great Barrier Reef at the research institute, said that in the past 15 years, coral areas have shown "record breaking fluctuations between low and high in a relatively short period of time, while previously these fluctuations were relatively mild", indicating "ecosystem pressure". Researchers believe that the fundamental way to protect coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Great Barrier Reef is a collective term for a series of coral reefs off the northeast coast of Australia. It is over 2000 kilometers long and is the largest coral reef group in the world, as well as one of the most complex natural ecosystems on Earth. The "2024-2025 Summer Great Barrier Reef Briefing" released earlier this year by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority stated that sustained high temperatures during the southern hemisphere summer from December 2024 to February 2025 led to widespread coral bleaching in the far north and northern regions of the Great Barrier Reef. After conducting aerial monitoring of 162 coral reefs, researchers found that 41% of them exhibited moderate to high levels of bleaching. This is the sixth large-scale coral bleaching event recorded on the Great Barrier Reef since 2016. Coral bleaching is an ecological phenomenon in which corals lose their symbiotic algae or pigments due to environmental pressure, resulting in the disappearance of coral color. Coral bleaching may not necessarily lead to death, but if the pressure causing bleaching decreases, the coral is expected to regain its color. Research suggests that the causes of coral bleaching include abnormal seawater temperature, ultraviolet radiation, storms, pollution, bacterial or viral infections, etc. However, the main reason for large-scale coral bleaching is prolonged abnormal high temperatures in seawater. (New Society)