The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued a draft decision recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Sadly, this should not be a surprise. Scientific evidence clearly shows that the reef, which is the largest living structure and continuous coral reef system on Earth, is in danger.

Every five years the Australian government publishes the most comprehensive assessment of the Great Barrier Reef — the Outlook Report. The first two Outlook Reports rated the long-term outlook of the reef as “poor.” The most recent Outlook Report, published in 2019, downgraded the long-term outlook to “very poor.” It said the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef is climate change.

On top of this, the Australian government’s water quality reports show it is failing to meet its own targets to reduce fertilizer and sediment runoff. The UNESCO experts who prepared the draft decision simply acted on this mounting evidence. Nonetheless, the draft decision has garnered global attention, and for good reason. The Great Barrier Reef is a global treasure, spanning an area large enough to be seen from space and providing habitat to an incredible array of fish, sharks, rays, sea turtles, and more. If the reef continues its decline, the future of those species could be undermined as well.