Coral must be like cats, & have at least 9 lives, if it is to die as often as these dills tell us.

One Michael Dahlstrom a News and Video Producer working I gather for 7 has just announced the great Barrier Reef is about to die, yet again.

I just finished a decent report stating that the reef has staged a remarkably quick recovery from previous damage during 2020. This disproving the claim it suffered from high temperature, as the BOM claimed 2020 was the hottest year EVER on the reef, only to be told it is dying yet again by this bloke.

This totally proves that lying commentators, armed with a camera can find bits of sick coral to support any claim. It also proves that others can find great bits. Pity we can't trust our media to qualify what they are offered, & actually tell the truth.

Meanwhile I will ignore anything produced by some clown wanting to make a living playing with a video camera.

I know nothing about the GBR. I've been taken out to a scary sort of platform in the middle of nowhere, to be submerged in a vessel that revealed everything in a grey tone. More adventurous people than I told me it was colourful if you snorkled over it: something to do with refraction of light. I took their word for it. What I cannot do is take the word of the combatants on either side of the debate because politics and lying is rife, particularly now that the two biggest cheats and liars, China and UNESCO have got in on the act.

The reefs are definitely not as brilliant now as they were 40 years ago. Water turbidity & acidity are what needs to be looked at.
Noise could also be contributing to the underwater world's stresses.
Computer enhanced imaging is also not showing the true picture of anything in Nature.
It saddens me to see the hundreds of tourists every day arriving in the North armed with fishing gear more resembling Star Wars weapons than hook, line & sinker !
There's nothing more clear, people are the problem !

It's impossible for people not to have some effect on the environment; and there is not much point to an environment that people can't have access to. Tourism is a large part of Australia's income, and it would be a very brave government that decided to restrict access to the reef. An interesting aside is the appalling hypocrisy of China's whine to UNESCO when large numbers of Chinese tourists are eager to put their considerable pressure on the reef.

Tourism is a large part of Australia's income,
ttbn,
I'm led to believe that in Belize tourism is THE income & they have banned sunscreen ten or more years ago & they curb fishing. Hawaii too has had the same environmental protection in some places for some time. In fact many places around the World have inhabitants who value their country more than to just sell it out.
Yes, it is impossible for humans not having some impact on the environment but with a little education & a degree of consideration this impact can be accommodated by Nature.
COVID-19 has shown what can be achieved with doing something for the Nation so, why not go that that one step further & do the same with the natural assets ?
Stop catching fish, swim with them !

individual,

I have no strong feelings about the reef or marine activities. It's not my thing: the sea and being in it or on it is quite confronting for me. Nothing should be abused of course.

You have lost me with your "COVID-19 has shown what can be achieved with doing something for the Nation", though. All I have seen is bungling, bullying and ignorance by politicians and bureaucrats.