Australia's reefs follow trend of global coral cover decline
Australia's coral reefs are in relatively good condition compared with coral reefs globally, although coral cover on Australian reefs has declined over the past 40 years—reflecting the global trend, a major new report has found.
Australia's coral reefs have experienced a decline in coral cover over the past 40 years, mirroring a global trend, according to a major new report. The Status of the World's Coral Reefs: 2025 report, released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), indicates that global hard coral cover decreased by 9.5% from 1980-2009 to 2020-2024.
While Australia's reefs are relatively healthy compared to worldwide reefs, they have seen a 10.9% relative decline in coral cover over the same period, falling from 30.2% in the 1980-2009 reference period to 26.8% in 2020-2024. Climate change-driven heat stress has increasingly contributed to coral loss globally and in Australia.
Despite some recovery after the third Global Coral Bleaching Event (2017-2019), the recent fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event (2024-2025) has reversed this progress, causing significant coral cover declines in Australian waters. The frequency of Global Coral Bleaching Events has increased, occurring every five to six years rather than every ten, reducing the recovery time for reefs.
With more ambitious reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions and effective management of local pressures, there may be a more positive future for reefs, according to Dr. Manuel Gonzalez Rivero, global coordinator of the GCRMN.
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