Great Barrier Reef corals have more than halved in past 25 years, study shows

Mass bleaching events triggered by record-breaking water temperatures have the most impact on coral depletion

Corals on the Great Barrier Reef have more than halved over the past 25 years, according to a study that prompted scientists to again warn the world-famous landmark will become unrecognisable without a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers from the Townsville-based ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies assessed coral communities and size between 1995 and 2017 and found the number of small, medium and large corals had fallen more than 50%.