In 2025, coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef’s northern region fell to 30% after its largest annual decline on record; a year later, surveys of 192 reefs found it had risen to 35.1% despite another bleaching event

• A variety of corals form an outcrop on Flynn Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
• Credits - WIkimedia CommonsThe last two years have been a tale of two extremes for the Great Barrier Reef.
• ” In 2025, the northern region of the reef experienced its biggest annual decline in coral cover on record, dropping to just 30% after a catastrophic mass bleaching event.