Reef Grief: investigating the relationship between place meanings and place change on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Approximately half of residents, tourists, and tourism operators associated with the Great Barrier Reef, along with nearly one-quarter of fishers, report significant 'Reef Grief' due to ecological degradation such as coral bleaching. This emotional response is closely linked to place meanings like biodiversity or scientific value but inversely related to aesthetic appreciation. The study, based on surveys of 3759 individuals, highlights the profound psychological impacts of ecosystem loss and suggests that managing ecological grief will be crucial amid future climate-driven declines.

Marshall, N., Adger, W. N., Benham, C., Brown, K., I Curnock, M., Gurney, G. G., Marshall, P., L Pert, P., & Thiault, L. (2019). Reef Grief: investigating the relationship between place meanings and place change on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Sustainability Science, 14(3), 579–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00666-z