AIMS: Coral Reefs off Port Douglas show improved signs of health

The health of the reefs off Port Douglas has improved, according to scientists

Mary Banfield

Journalist

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NGBR Linnet Reef Photo copyright AIMS 2022

For the environment, and tourism there is good news as the health of the Great Barrier Reef, off Port Douglas, is improving, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).

In a survey of northern reefs including Evening, Low Isles, Hastings, and Morning an increased amount of coral cover was identified.

In fact, coral coverage in the northern region reached 36%, the highest level in the 36 years since the survey began, reported AIMS.

Favourable weather conditions, including no cyclones, between August 2021 and May 2022 have provided some reprieve allowing for a blossoming of hard coral cover while there were no recorded outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish on the reefs off Port Douglas.

Outcomes of the AIMS survey

For 36 years, AIMS has been responsible for monitoring the changes in the conditions of the Great Barrier Reef, and over this time has highlighted bleaching events that threaten the survival of this beautiful ocean terrain.

The latest annual survey of 87 reefs from north of Cooktown, south to Rockhampton showed mixed results. In the south, there has been a decline in the conditions of the reefs. However, in the north, there was better news with the renewal of hard coral cover.

“Only three out of 26 reefs [North Great Barrier Reef] previously surveyed in the last two years had decreased hard coral cover,” concluded the AIMS annual report.

What is hard coral cover?

For scientists, increasing hard coral cover is a sign of health. “Coral cover is an important indicator of reef condition, as it describes the abundance of the most critical ecosystem engineer in coral reefs, and allows us to compare reef health both between different reefs and on the same reef through time,” Dr Mike Emslie commented.

Almost 30 years ago Morning Reef, north of Port Douglas, had recorded a hard coral cover of 33.7%. That significantly declined to 17.6% in 2007. In recent years the reef has shown extraordinary resilience and by 2022 had coverage of 28.4%.

It’s been a long road waiting for the conditions to enable recovery. Between 1998 and 2017 there were seven bleaching events, causing significant stress on the coral.

While the survey produced some good news, AIMS cautions, “Our oceans’ future is uncertain. Australia’s tropical marine ecosystems are under stress and coral reefs face threats to their existence.”

NGBR No name reef Copyright AIMS 2022

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