Reef health update - 12 March 2026

Sea surface temperatures eased slightly across the Marine Park over the past week.

A tropical low crossed the Marine Park on 5–6 March. The system, together with a monsoon trough, brought heavy rainfall to the Cape York, Wet Tropics and Mackay–Whitsunday catchments. While this has helped keep temperatures down across the Reef, it also increases the likelihood of freshwater runoff entering the Marine Park.

Another tropical low (34U) is forecast to develop in the Coral Sea off the East Coast of North Queensland. Forecasts continue to be monitored for any potential impacts to the Reef.

Temperature

Over the past week sea surface temperatures dropped from around 30°C to 29.1°C in the Far Northern region following recent weather systems. Sea surface temperatures in other regions also decl ...