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\"The next bleaching event is just around the corner. We anticipate moderate or severe coral bleaching in the weeks or months coming,\" Hughes told ABC News back in November last year.

Hughes, who directs the Center for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia, forewarned about the devastating effects climate change is having on the Great Barrier Reef. At that time, the climate summit in Glasgow was underway, and Hughes made it unequivocally clear that cutting carbon emissions is the only way to save the reef.

\"PHOTO:
Glenn Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: The current condition of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland, March 7, 2022.
>

\"We should all be worried. The future of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs generally throughout the tropics depends on the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions and the temperature trajectories over the rest of this century,\" he said then.

\"What's happening here in Australia on coral reefs is simply typical of coral reefs everywhere,\" Hughes said, \"Throughout the tropics, coral reefs support the livelihoods and food security of about 400 million people.\"

Hughes said there are strong social and economic reasons why the Australian government should be doing \"a better job\" at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

\"Here in Australia, a relatively wealthy country. It's also economically important, 65,000 people work in reef tourism here in Queensland. It's worth about $5 billion each year to the economy of Australia,\" he said.

\"PHOTO:
Glenn Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: The current condition of coral on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland, March 7, 2022.The Great Barrier Reef has again been hit with "widespread" bleaching, authorities said on March 18, 2022.
>

The Australian government has made a $700-million commitment to reef-protecting measures, but critics would like to see bolder measures toward combating climate change and a permanent pivot from the economy's reliance on fossil fuels.

Canberra, the capital city of Australia, has also lobbied to keep the reef off a UNESCO World Heritage list of sites considered \"in danger,\" with fears, it has said, the label would taint the reef's image as a natural wonder and hurt tourism.

If cooler waters return, it is possible for the reef to make a comeback. All scientists agree, though, that the Great Barrier Reef's long-term survival will depend on how well we can act on climate change, and on that, it is a race against the clock, Hughes said.

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