Great Barrier Reef northern coral cover rebounds to 35.1% after record 2025 decline

Key facts

• In 2025, coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef's northern region fell to 30% after its largest annual decline on record.
• The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) surveys conducted between August 2025 and June 2026 found northern coral cover had risen to 35.1%, a 16.7% relative increase.
• The central region's coral cover increased from 28.6% to 31.6%, a 10.2% rise.
• The southern region's coral cover changed from 26.9% to 26.4%, a decline within the margin of error.
• A late-summer monsoon in 2026 brought cloud cover and cooler sea temperatures, likely limiting the severity and extent of bleaching.
• Coral cover in the northern and central regions is now above the long-term average, signalling the start of recovery.
• The Great Barrier Reef has experienced five mass bleaching events since 2016, with climate change remaining the greatest threat to its long-term survival.