‘Buying time for the Reef': $300m earmarked for novel coral research

Dozens of experiments aimed at bolstering the resilience of Great Barrier Reef corals will receive as much as $300 million in public and private funds over five years to give reefs a fighting chance against climate change.

As the third mass coral bleaching event in five years unfolds on the Great
 Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea, the government is planning to test
 different approaches to make corals more resilient.

The Morrison government's support for 43 so-called interventions - ranging from pumping up cooler waters to making artificial sea fogs to reduce temperature - comes as researchers report the latest mass coral bleaching has extended to the Coral Sea.

The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program - the result of a two-year feasibility study that winnowed down 160 ventures seeking more research - was "our chance to shine", Environment Minister Sussan Ley said.

"We know that climate change is the number one challenge to our reef but we also know there is much we can do to prepare the reef to become as resilient as it needs to be," she said.

Read the story from The Age by Peter Hannam - “‘Buying time for the Reef': $300m earmarked for novel coral research.”