A few months before my visit to Australia, GBRMPA had issued an “outlook report,” something it’s required to do every five years. The authority said that the reef’s long-term prospects, which it had previously characterized as “poor,” had declined to “very poor.” Right around the time GBRMPA issued this grim assessment, the Australian government approved a gigantic new coal mine for a site a few hours south of the SeaSim. The mine, often described as a “mega-mine,” is expected to send most of its coal to India via a port—Abbot Point—situated right along the reef. Saving corals and mining more
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