Large-scale interventions may delay decline of the Great Barrier Reef

Large-scale, coordinated interventions could significantly delay the decline of coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), according to a new systems modeling study. The research found that combining strategies—such as controlling crown-of-thorns starfish populations and managing solar radiation—to protect corals from both predation and thermal stress offers the most promise. Without intervention, climate change projections suggest severe coral loss within 50 years due to cumulative impacts like tropical cyclones, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification. The study used a dynamic meta-community model of 3753 reefs to simulate the effects of multiple interventions, revealing that large-scale implementation could buy one to two decades for natural adaptation and climate action.

Condie, S. A., Anthony, K. R. N., Babcock, R. C., Baird, M. E., Beeden, R., Fletcher, C. S., Gorton, R., Harrison, D., Hobday, A. J., Plagányi, É. E., & Westcott, D. A. (2021). Large-scale interventions may delay decline of the Great Barrier Reef. Royal Society Open Science, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201296