Great Barrier Reef - Wikimedia Commons We don’t know if it’s because the government of Australia has suddenly become very eco-conscious or because their $6.4 billion/year ($4.8 billion US) revenue generator is in trouble, but the Aussie government is finally making a substantial investment in protecting and rejuvenating this great natural treasure. Here’s the story from NPR: Australia’s government is investing 500 million Australian dollars (more than $377 million U.S.) to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which has been struggling to cope with storm damage, coral-eating starfish and bleaching events triggered by warmer oceans. The government announced the new funding on Sunday. Most of the money will go to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, which will use it to limit pollution, fund restoration work, fight the coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish and monitor the reef’s condition.

Great Barrier Reef - Wikimedia Commons And… The reef is a “critical natural asset,” the government says, “providing $6.4 billion ($4.8 billion) a year to the Queensland and Australian economies.” It also supports 64,000 jobs, the government says. The Great Barrier Reef Foundation describes the coral reef as a “great living treasure.” But by some metrics, it’s a great dying treasure, as NPR’s Merrit Kennedy reported earlier this month. Over the past two years, the reef has experienced two massive bleaching events, triggered by climate change and warmer waters, she wrote:

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Great Barrier Reef - Flickr - by lockthegate “The die-off has caused the collapse of the ecosystem for 29 percent of the 3,863 reefs in the giant coral reef system, according to research published [April 18] in Nature. … The higher-than-usual water temperatures shock the reefs, often causing important algae to disappear and turning the once vibrantly colored corals pale. Eventually, many will die. But not all of them. … “Generally, prospects for recovery are bleak. The fastest growers might take 10 to 15 years to recover, [NOAA researcher Mark] Eakin says. The big, mature corals can take decades or centuries. Let’s hope they got to this in time. For more information on the Great Barrier Reef foundation, visit their website at BarrierReef.org.