Overview
- The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network released a report on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, finding global hard coral cover about 9.5% below the historical average for 2020–2024.
- The report shows the interval between mass bleaching events has shortened to an average of five to six years, leaving reefs too little time to recover between heatwaves.
- Scientists say the 2023 bleaching affected roughly 77% of reef areas and that record sea surface temperatures linked to El Niño make a similar large event very likely this year.
- Researchers and conservation groups call for rapid cuts to greenhouse gas emissions plus local actions such as reducing overfishing and improving water quality to widen recovery windows.
- Long-term monitoring across nearly 37,000 sites in 120 jurisdictions shows a sharp acceleration in decline since 2010 and highlights that reefs support a quarter of marine life and millions of coastal livelihoods.