Great Barrier Reef Status Lowered From ‘Significant Concern’ to ‘Critical,’ Experts Say

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has seen its status declined from "significant concern" to "critical" for the first time, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CBS News reports.

The Great Barrier Reef is under threat due to climate change. As oceans warm, acidity levels rise, and harsh weather has caused the UNESCO World Heritage Site to lose half of its reefs since 1995. With the reefs deteriorating, the species that lives in that ecosystem is also under threat.

Parts of the reef are "severely treated and require urgent, additional and large-scale conservation measures," the IUCN report said.

While the status of the reef has lowered, according to IUCN’s report, that does not mean the Great Barrier Reef’s situation is getting any better.

"Right now the federal government is shirking their responsibility to act as the custodian for the Great Barrier Reef and it's just appalling," Australian Marine Conservation Society Great Barrier Reef Campaigner David Cazzulino told Reuters.

"We need a national climate change policy that has the future of our reef firmly at its heart. Which means limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, getting to net-zero emissions as soon as possible, well before 2050, and having a plan to get to 100% renewable energy, which we know is possible, will create a better society for all of us and create thousands of clean jobs in the process."

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