Heritage values of the Great Barrier Reef
Posted on: Sun 22 Dec 2019
For some years, the world has been watching how Australia has been caring for the Great Barrier Reef.
The iconic natural wonder is the largest living organism on the planet.
But its health is deteriorating.
In 2017 UNESCO, the United Nations body that monitors the reef’s world heritage status, asked Australia to report back on how the reef was faring.
This month Australia submitted its latest report, providing a wealth of information on many threats to the reef.
But the report’s overall message is that the reef’s world heritage values are fine and the threats are in hand, when the reality is far different.
To contrast the report with the reality, Barometer’s Des Lawrence spoke to Jon Day, PhD candidate, at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University. Jon previously worked for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority between 1986 and 2014.
Produced by Des Lawrence
Wiki image: Toby Hudson
