Terry Hughes
@profterryhughes.bsky.social
Scientist, mentor, posting on #ecology and #conservation, #environment, #climate change and #coral reefs. Australian-Irish. Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=MhJ2LfsAAAAJ&hl=en
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=MhJ2LfsAAAAJ&hl=en
One of three coal exporting ports - on The Best-Managed World-Heritage-listed Coral Reef in the World.
August 22, 2025 at 6:52 AM
One of three coal exporting ports - on The Best-Managed World-Heritage-listed Coral Reef in the World.
Official vague statement released in May 2024.
We knew by then that billions of corals were dead or dying due to extreme heat stress in Jan-March. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Australian government stayed silent for another 14 months, until after an election & more fossil fuel permits.
We knew by then that billions of corals were dead or dying due to extreme heat stress in Jan-March. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Australian government stayed silent for another 14 months, until after an election & more fossil fuel permits.
August 12, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Official vague statement released in May 2024.
We knew by then that billions of corals were dead or dying due to extreme heat stress in Jan-March. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Australian government stayed silent for another 14 months, until after an election & more fossil fuel permits.
We knew by then that billions of corals were dead or dying due to extreme heat stress in Jan-March. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Australian government stayed silent for another 14 months, until after an election & more fossil fuel permits.
If the Great Barrier Reef had a voice, it would be screaming 😱
Picture shows a 500yr old bleached coral, clinging to life - off Heron island, April 2024.
Picture shows a 500yr old bleached coral, clinging to life - off Heron island, April 2024.
August 10, 2025 at 6:08 AM
If the Great Barrier Reef had a voice, it would be screaming 😱
Picture shows a 500yr old bleached coral, clinging to life - off Heron island, April 2024.
Picture shows a 500yr old bleached coral, clinging to life - off Heron island, April 2024.
The image of dying corals comes from Lizard Island in 2016, not 2024.
Here’s a comparison of coral mortality in the northern Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2024.
Here’s a comparison of coral mortality in the northern Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2024.
August 7, 2025 at 10:27 PM
The image of dying corals comes from Lizard Island in 2016, not 2024.
Here’s a comparison of coral mortality in the northern Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2024.
Here’s a comparison of coral mortality in the northern Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2024.
The middle region of the Great Barrier Reef was under-sampled in 2024 surveys - only 3 reefs between Cairns and Townsville. theconversation.com/worlds-bigge...
August 7, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The middle region of the Great Barrier Reef was under-sampled in 2024 surveys - only 3 reefs between Cairns and Townsville. theconversation.com/worlds-bigge...
In a rosy new assessment, the Australian government reports there is currently no coral bleaching - in mid-winter.
And despite all the evidence, “The Authority’s starfish Control Program…. is a demonstrated effective tool in protecting coral and supporting the health and resilience of the Reef”
And despite all the evidence, “The Authority’s starfish Control Program…. is a demonstrated effective tool in protecting coral and supporting the health and resilience of the Reef”
August 6, 2025 at 11:48 PM
In a rosy new assessment, the Australian government reports there is currently no coral bleaching - in mid-winter.
And despite all the evidence, “The Authority’s starfish Control Program…. is a demonstrated effective tool in protecting coral and supporting the health and resilience of the Reef”
And despite all the evidence, “The Authority’s starfish Control Program…. is a demonstrated effective tool in protecting coral and supporting the health and resilience of the Reef”
“Our findings identify a promising avenue (removing dead corals) to manage for coral resilience”
Reality-Check: The spatial scale of this experiment is 0.004 hectares.
Live coral cover continued to decline after removing dead skeletons.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reality-Check: The spatial scale of this experiment is 0.004 hectares.
Live coral cover continued to decline after removing dead skeletons.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
August 3, 2025 at 4:05 AM
“Our findings identify a promising avenue (removing dead corals) to manage for coral resilience”
Reality-Check: The spatial scale of this experiment is 0.004 hectares.
Live coral cover continued to decline after removing dead skeletons.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reality-Check: The spatial scale of this experiment is 0.004 hectares.
Live coral cover continued to decline after removing dead skeletons.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
August 3, 2025 at 1:01 AM
This gathering of policy makers and industry leaders will explore the Sustainable Blue Economy - ironically, illustrated here by a picture of a lifeless coral reef with no fish.
July 31, 2025 at 11:04 PM
This gathering of policy makers and industry leaders will explore the Sustainable Blue Economy - ironically, illustrated here by a picture of a lifeless coral reef with no fish.
A beautiful beach walk in southern Australia:
But the joy quickly turns to horror when we see more and more dead animals, including dozens of freshly killed abalone.
Australia’s beaches are revealing the silent devastation of marine ecosystems.
But the joy quickly turns to horror when we see more and more dead animals, including dozens of freshly killed abalone.
Australia’s beaches are revealing the silent devastation of marine ecosystems.
July 30, 2025 at 11:00 PM
A beautiful beach walk in southern Australia:
But the joy quickly turns to horror when we see more and more dead animals, including dozens of freshly killed abalone.
Australia’s beaches are revealing the silent devastation of marine ecosystems.
But the joy quickly turns to horror when we see more and more dead animals, including dozens of freshly killed abalone.
Australia’s beaches are revealing the silent devastation of marine ecosystems.
Nothing to see here, and definitely no “natural” disasters.
The top trajectories are seasonal sea surface temperatures, 2025 in black.
The bottom left shows extreme heat exposure in recent years, 2025 in black.
The top trajectories are seasonal sea surface temperatures, 2025 in black.
The bottom left shows extreme heat exposure in recent years, 2025 in black.
July 22, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Nothing to see here, and definitely no “natural” disasters.
The top trajectories are seasonal sea surface temperatures, 2025 in black.
The bottom left shows extreme heat exposure in recent years, 2025 in black.
The top trajectories are seasonal sea surface temperatures, 2025 in black.
The bottom left shows extreme heat exposure in recent years, 2025 in black.
A reminder that all Australian coastlines are reeling from rising sea temperatures - it’s not just coral bleaching.
For every fish that washes up on a beach, millions of sedentary bottom-dwelling animals and plants are quietly dying.
For every fish that washes up on a beach, millions of sedentary bottom-dwelling animals and plants are quietly dying.
July 20, 2025 at 11:17 PM
A reminder that all Australian coastlines are reeling from rising sea temperatures - it’s not just coral bleaching.
For every fish that washes up on a beach, millions of sedentary bottom-dwelling animals and plants are quietly dying.
For every fish that washes up on a beach, millions of sedentary bottom-dwelling animals and plants are quietly dying.
Great Barrier Reef: Coca-Cola, a major plastic polluter “aims to help sustain the health and resilience of this entire ecosystem for the future.”
#greenwashing
www.barrierreef.org/news/media-r...
#greenwashing
www.barrierreef.org/news/media-r...
July 19, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Great Barrier Reef: Coca-Cola, a major plastic polluter “aims to help sustain the health and resilience of this entire ecosystem for the future.”
#greenwashing
www.barrierreef.org/news/media-r...
#greenwashing
www.barrierreef.org/news/media-r...
July 17, 2025 at 11:01 PM
It’s winter in northern Australia, where sea temperatures (upper trajectory) are close to 2C above average.
Extreme heat exposure (Degree Heating Weeks, bottom trajectories) was highest in the summers of 2025, 2024 and 2016 (when more than half of the corals died).
Extreme heat exposure (Degree Heating Weeks, bottom trajectories) was highest in the summers of 2025, 2024 and 2016 (when more than half of the corals died).
July 17, 2025 at 11:01 PM
It’s winter in northern Australia, where sea temperatures (upper trajectory) are close to 2C above average.
Extreme heat exposure (Degree Heating Weeks, bottom trajectories) was highest in the summers of 2025, 2024 and 2016 (when more than half of the corals died).
Extreme heat exposure (Degree Heating Weeks, bottom trajectories) was highest in the summers of 2025, 2024 and 2016 (when more than half of the corals died).
When will news media stop misrepresenting deadly heatwaves as a fun day on the beach?
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
July 13, 2025 at 1:20 AM
When will news media stop misrepresenting deadly heatwaves as a fun day on the beach?
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
Buyer beware: AI images of corals are flooding into social and mainstream media.
The reality of coral reef decline is bad enough without faking it.
The reality of coral reef decline is bad enough without faking it.
July 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Buyer beware: AI images of corals are flooding into social and mainstream media.
The reality of coral reef decline is bad enough without faking it.
The reality of coral reef decline is bad enough without faking it.
July 7, 2025 at 1:40 PM
In 2016, four of the reefs we surveyed after mass coral bleaching had >90% losses - similar to Lizard Island in 2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 7, 2025 at 4:11 AM
In 2016, four of the reefs we surveyed after mass coral bleaching had >90% losses - similar to Lizard Island in 2024.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Australian propaganda on climate change, as “the right conditions” fade into history.
July 3, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Australian propaganda on climate change, as “the right conditions” fade into history.
Almost no hard corals - no branching staghorns, no table corals, a dead Pocillopora. On a healthy reef, these and other hard corals should exceed 50% cover.
Very low diversity - some fragmented remnants of rubbery soft corals. The pink stuff is coralline algae. Lots of scuzzy algal turfs.
Awful.
Very low diversity - some fragmented remnants of rubbery soft corals. The pink stuff is coralline algae. Lots of scuzzy algal turfs.
Awful.
July 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Almost no hard corals - no branching staghorns, no table corals, a dead Pocillopora. On a healthy reef, these and other hard corals should exceed 50% cover.
Very low diversity - some fragmented remnants of rubbery soft corals. The pink stuff is coralline algae. Lots of scuzzy algal turfs.
Awful.
Very low diversity - some fragmented remnants of rubbery soft corals. The pink stuff is coralline algae. Lots of scuzzy algal turfs.
Awful.
No, video game players will not “bring life back to coral reefs.”
(EOS has a controversial history of sponsorship from fossil fuel companies).
eos.org/articles/cor...
(EOS has a controversial history of sponsorship from fossil fuel companies).
eos.org/articles/cor...
June 30, 2025 at 1:43 AM
No, video game players will not “bring life back to coral reefs.”
(EOS has a controversial history of sponsorship from fossil fuel companies).
eos.org/articles/cor...
(EOS has a controversial history of sponsorship from fossil fuel companies).
eos.org/articles/cor...
“The Queensland Destination 2045 Plan will link ecotourism with conservation projects so that tourists can engage with scientists and support local environmental projects, including collaboration on reef monitoring and restoration.”
(No mention of emissions from long haul flights).
(No mention of emissions from long haul flights).
June 29, 2025 at 4:43 AM
“The Queensland Destination 2045 Plan will link ecotourism with conservation projects so that tourists can engage with scientists and support local environmental projects, including collaboration on reef monitoring and restoration.”
(No mention of emissions from long haul flights).
(No mention of emissions from long haul flights).
The cost of this invention is $25k to $36k per couple for 7 days.
June 28, 2025 at 11:57 PM
The cost of this invention is $25k to $36k per couple for 7 days.