The world’s largest coral reef system, stretching more than 2300 kilometres along the North East Queensland coast, has long drawn visitors to its underwater world. Home to 400 types of coral, 1500 species of fish and 4000 types of mollusc, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most extraordinary natural wonders. In the past two decades, rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change have triggered widespread coral bleaching events, placing the reef under threat. But there are new initiatives led by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the country’s leading reef-protection charity, to help restore and protect this fragile ecosystem.
What is the Great Barrier Reef like in 2026?
In November 2025, I attended a full-day Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Adventure as part of a research trip. A small group of colleagues and I joined Johnny Gaskell, senior program manager of coral reef restoration at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to take a closer look at the state of the natural wonder.
The last time I visited the reef was in 2010 so when I step off the Red Cat Adventures charter boat into the coves of Hook Island, about 27 kilometres north-east of Airlie Beach, almost 15 years later, I’m not sure what to expect. As I adjust my goggles, I hear a colleague mumble something through their snorkel. As I dip beneath the surface, I realise what they’re trying to tell me: a large sea turtle drifts past an arm’s length away. What follows is a kaleidoscopic wonderland: blue starfish clinging to the rocks, Humphead Maori Wrasse gliding above speckled orange coral branches and schools of fish that curiously graze my stinger suit as they swim past. The reef still has the same wow-factor I fondly remember from my first visit.
What is coral bleaching?
But it has also visibly changed. As our skipper explains over lunch onboard, the reef has endured five widespread coral bleaching events in the past eight years alone, prompting organisations, such as the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to roll out large-scale restoration projects. Tourism operators are playing a role, too. Red Cat Adventures trains its crews in reef health monitoring and data collection, helping their guests to understand what’s happening beneath the surface.
Coral bleaching happens when corals are stressed, which is usually caused by rising water temperatures – just a one degree Celsius increase over four weeks is enough to trigger it. Under stress, corals expel the microscopic algae living in their tissues.
“Think of this process as like leaving a glass of milk on the kitchen counter,” says Gaskell. “When it’s cold, your body reacts fine to the milk but the warmer it gets, the more likely your body will try and reject it from your system. It’s similar to corals ejecting their algae.”
What measures are in place to restore the reef?
Without the algae, corals lose their colour and become transparent, revealing a white skeleton. While the skeleton isn’t completely dead, bleaching leaves corals more vulnerable to starvation and disease.
What is coral spawning?
Coral IVF is one of the most significant restoration projects implemented by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. After a mass spawning (when corals release bundles of eggs and sperm) researchers collect millions of excess eggs and sperm from healthy parts of the reef and relocate them into larval pool nurseries, an enclosure that floats at sea. Here, the corals are protected from predators, giving them the best chance of survival. They’re typically held in the pools for from five to seven days, closely monitored by scientists, before being relocated to damaged coral reefs to produce new life.
This natural phenomenon sounds like something out of an astrology book: a few days after the full moon – usually around October or November on the Great Barrier Reef – mature coral species release tiny reproductive bundles of eggs and sperm. For just a few days each year, these corals synchronise their spawning, sending the bundles drifting to the surface where they combine to create millions of new corals.
Are there restoration projects I can visit?
Gaskell, who has spent much of his career taking photographs of the ocean’s most extraordinary moments, says this particular event has to be seen to be believed.
When we visit, it’s only days after the spawning and the reef is buzzing with activity in its aftermath. Teams of up to 15 scientists and researchers hover around floating larval pools (there are three different pools in this area) where they were successfully able to collect 150 million larvae during the November spawning.
Another key restoration project led by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation involves rescuing broken coral fragments and nurturing them in underwater “nurseries” before returning them to the reef. At the Green Island Coral Nursery, a 45-minute boat ride from Cairns, guests can join a guided tour to learn about different coral species, their growth habits and the environmental factors that influence their health. Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for children. Hot tip: Bring your camera to take a shot of these illuminated marine animals up close.
There’s a similar restoration project in Airlie Beach but the focus here is on seagrass and visitors can take a look at it for free. The nursery is located at Coral Sea Marina and supports the rejuvenation of degraded seagrass meadows, which are vital for cycling nutrients and oxygenating the water. Seagrass is also the main food source for the “cows of the sea”, the region’s gentle dugongs. While there aren’t regular tours, Coral Sea Marina Resort often hosts volunteer sessions where locals and visitors can help collect flowers and seeds at Cannonvale Beach, which are stored and processed.
