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The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's premier tourist attractions

UN welcomes investment to protect Great Barrier Reef

The UN cultural agency UNESCO has welcomed commitments from Australia to protect the Great Barrier Reef, with the government pledging 4.4 billion Australian dollars (€2.7b) to safeguard the natural wonder.

Environment • 06 Jun 23

Bleaching occurs when corals expel algae living in their tissues, draining them of their vibrant colours

Australia declares mass bleaching at Great Barrier Reef

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is suffering a "mass bleaching event" as coral comes under heat stress from warmer seas, reef authorities said today.

World • 25 Mar 22

Higher-than-average temperatures have again caused severe bleaching in parts of the reef

UN considers listing Great Barrier Reef as 'in danger'

The United Nations has begun a monitoring mission on the Great Barrier Reef, assessing whether the World Heritage site is being protected from climate change as it suffers further widespread bleaching.

World • 21 Mar 22

The tourist attraction draws about 5 million people each year and supports nearly 70,000 jobs

UNESCO keeps Great Barrier Reef off 'in danger' list

The Great Barrier Reef will not be added to a list of World Heritage Sites that are "in danger" after a UN panel agreed to defer a vote until 2022 amid intensive lobbying by Australia.

World • 23 Jul 21

The Great Barrier Reef runs 2,300km down Australia's northeast coast

Great Barrier Reef outlook worsens to 'critical' level

The status of Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been moved to critical and deteriorating by a global authority in nature conservation, mostly as a result of coral bleaching caused by climate change.

News Lens • 03 Dec 20

Warmer seas caused by climate change have damaged the health of the Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Scientists try new experiment to protect Barrier Reef

An ambitious "cloud brightening" experiment has been carried out over Australia's Great Barrier Reef in an early-stage trial that scientists hope could become a futuristic way to protect coral from global warming.

World • 17 Apr 20

The reef is worth an estimated €3.6 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy

Great Barrier Reef suffers mass coral bleaching event

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has suffered "very widespread" damage after rising sea temperatures caused the third mass coral bleaching events in five years, authorities have said.

Environment • 26 Mar 20

Raine Island is the largest nesting site for green turtles in the world (Pics: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services Raine Island Recovery Project team)

Project to save endangered turtle nests off Australia

Traditional Owners, rangers and specialist contractors have successfully completed a mission to save precious endangered baby green turtles on remote Raine Island, on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.

News Lens • 12 Sep 19

Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority singled out rising sea temperatures as the biggest threat to the giant organism

Great Barrier Reef outlook now 'very poor' - report

Australia has downgraded the Great Barrier Reef's long-term outlook to "very poor" for the first time, as the world heritage site struggles with "escalating" climate change.

World • 30 Aug 19

Experts say the reef could have suffered irreparable damage

Cloud brightening and sun shields to save Barrier Reef

Australia has announced plans to explore concepts such as firing salt into clouds and covering swathes of water with a thin layer of film in a bid to save the embattled Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef • 20 Jul 18

The corals worst affected were branching corals that provide nooks and crannies for fish nurseries

Great Barrier Reef hit by catastrophic die-off in 2016

Australia's Great Barrier Reef suffered a "catastrophic die-off" of coral during an extended heatwave in 2016, threatening a broader range of reef life than previously feared, a new report has revealed.

Environment • 19 Apr 18

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered significant bouts of coral bleaching due to rising sea temperatures

Ultra-fine film possible saviour for Great Barrier Reef

An ultra-fine biodegradable film some 50,000 times thinner than a human hair could be enlisted to protect the Great Barrier Reef from environmental degradation, according to researchers.

Great Barrier Reef • 27 Mar 18

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth

$56bn Great Barrier Reef 'too big to fail'

Australia's under-pressure Great Barrier Reef is an asset worth Aus$56 billion (€38bn) and as an ecosystem and economic driver is "too big to fail", a study has said.

World • 26 Jun 17

Warming oceans have led to bleaching of coral on the Great Barrier Reef

Warning over coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef

Coral bleached for two consecutive years at Australia's Great Barrier Reef has "zero prospect" of recovery, scientists have warned, as they confirmed the site has again been hit by warming sea temperatures.

World • 10 Apr 17

Great Barrier Reef kept off UNESCO in danger list

A heritage committee of the UNESCO cultural agency stopped short of placing Australia's Great Barrier Reef on an "in danger" list, but raised long-term concerns about its future.

News • 29 May 15

Fish swim through coral at the Great Barrier Reef

Australia to restrict dumping near barrier reef

Australia has ordered a ban on dumping dredge waste on most of the Great Barrier Reef, the environment minister said this morning, as part of a push to stop the UN declaring the site in danger.

News • 24 Jan 15

A hawksbill sea turtle swims near the reed off Lady Elliot Island

Poor outlook for Great Barrier Reef

Climate change remains the most serious threat to the Great Barrier Reef and the outlook for the natural wonder is "poor", an Australian government report has warned.

News • 13 Aug 14

UNESCO condemned the dumping of dredge in reef waters

UNESCO warns Australia over Great Barrier Reef

UNESCO has condemned a decision to allow the dumping of dredge waste in Great Barrier Reef waters.

News • 01 May 14

Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority approved the plan

Plan to dump waste in Great Barrier Reef approved

Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has approved the dumping of up to three million cubic metres of dredge waste in park waters in a move criticised by environmentalists.

News • 31 Jan 14

The US Navy will search the Great Barrier Reef after it dropped unarmed bombs on the marine park

US Navy to recover bombs from Great Barrier Reef

The US Navy will lead the effort to recover four unarmed bombs it was forced to drop in Australia's World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef marine park.

News • 26 Jul 13

US drops unarmed bombs on Great Barrier Reef

Two US fighter jets have dropped four unarmed bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef after a training exercise went wrong.

News • 21 Jul 13

The reef is heralded as one of the seven natural wonders of the world

Deadline nears for action over Great Barrier Reef

Environmental groups have said Australia has to take swift action to protect the Great Barrier Reef amid significant threats from industrial projects.

News • 24 Jan 13

Great Barrier Reef