# Great Barrier Reef coral cover rises to 35.1% after bleaching

2026-08-14T13:11:37+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Australian Institute of Marine Science reports that hard coral cover in the northern Great Barrier Reef has rebounded to 35.1 per cent after plunging to 30 per cent in 2025, its biggest annual decline on record. Surveys conducted from August 2025 to June 2026 showed a 16.7 per cent relative increase in the north and a 10.2 per cent rise in the central region, while the south remained stable. The recovery followed a rare late-summer monsoon in 2026 that cooled sea temperatures and limited bleaching. However, the reef has suffered five mass bleaching events since 2016, and scientists warn that without deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, the Australian government is deciding its 2035 target, such resilience will be overwhelmed by more frequent marine heatwaves.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/in-2025-coral-cover-in-the-great-barrier-reefs-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/articleshow/133230206.cms>

Tags: Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, climate change, Great Barrier Reef
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