The Great Barrier Reef is NOT dead: Viral ‘Obituary’ riles scientists
REEF OBITUARY
AN article that went viral on the weekend pronouncing the Great Barrier Reef as dead has been slammed by scientists.
Writer Rowan Jacobsen’s column entitled “Obituary: Great Barrier Reef (25 Million BC-2016)” was published by Outside Magazine and picked up by news media around the world.
“The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It was 25 million years old,” wrote Jacobsen in the hyperbolic opening sentence.
The story prompted opinion pieces, news articles and headlines across the globe, many of which have angered the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) here in Far North Queensland.
News.com ran with the headline “The Great Barrier Reef dead at the age of 25 million years after worst mass bleaching on record”; while the Telegraph screamed “Great Barrier Reef pronounced dead by scientists.”
Dr Russell Reichelt from the GBRMPA said the false reporting was damaging.
“Claims in the weekend media that the Great Barrier Reef is dead are irresponsible and untrue,” Dr Reichelt said.
“Headlines that disempower people will not help us protect the Reef’s long-term future, which continues to be my sole mission and the GBRMPA’s single, steadfast focus.”
While acknowledging he was ‘deeply concerned’ about the impacts of the mass coral bleaching event, he said the damage done was highly variable.
The reefs near Port Douglas and south towards Cairns escaped major impacts, contrary to many reports.
The most severe bleaching occurred in the more isolated northern areas of the Great Barrier Reef, triggered by record-breaking sea surface temperatures.
Dr Reichelt said the resilience of the reef could not be underestimated.
“While the bleaching this year was very serious, recent studies have shown that in the three years prior to the bleaching coral cover increased by 19 per cent across the Marine Park,” he said.
“The Great Barrier Reef still remains in a much better state than many other coral reefs around the world. However, the severity of the global mass bleaching event reinforces the need for a concerted international effort on climate change as well as national and local actions to reduce all other pressures on the Reef.
“Our message should be one of empowerment — working together, we can make a difference.”
