The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef remains ”very poor,” scientists affiliated with the Australian government said on Monday, just days before UNESCO is due to decide whether to downgrade the site’s status on the World Heritage List.
The UN cultural body last month recommended that the world's largest coral reef be placed on the organization's list of endangered world heritage sites. The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral since 1995 after a series of heatwaves triggered widespread coral bleaching, according to research presented last fall.
Australia has launched a last-minute campaign to avoid the reef, which generates huge tourist revenues, from being classified as endangered. The Great Barrier Reef is one of seven World Heritage sites threatened with downgrading due to ecological destruction, overexploitation and widespread tourism.
