Disturbance and the Dynamics of Coral Cover on the Great Barrier Reef (1995–2009)

Between 1995 and 2009, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) showed no overall decline in coral cover, which remained stable at around 29%. While subregional trends varied—with six areas seeing increases and seven decreases—Acroporidae corals drove 68% of these changes. Contrary to expectations, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and storms caused more coral loss than bleaching or disease, despite two mass bleaching events during the period. The study analyzed annual data from 47 fixed sites across 1300 km, revealing localized dynamics rather than system-wide decline.

Osborne, K., Dolman, A. M., Burgess, S. C., & Johns, K. A. (2011). Disturbance and the Dynamics of Coral Cover on the Great Barrier Reef (1995–2009). PLoS ONE, 6(3), e17516. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017516