Great Barrier Reef dodges UN ‘endangered’ label despite extreme coral bleaching
Part of composite article Coral Crisis: Disease, Dredging, and Climate Change Push Unique Reefs to the Brink View full article →
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has avoided being listed as “in danger” by the United Nations, even though the UN reports “utmost concern” about mass coral bleaching and the effects of climate change.
On Saturday, Australia’s government welcomed a draft decision by UNESCO to keep the reef’s World Heritage status unchanged. The reef stretches 2,300 kilometers (1,426 miles) along the coast of Queensland state.
UNESCO has been monitoring the reef every year since 2021, when it first warned that the site was at risk of being placed on the endangered list.