Reef health update | 9 April 2026

Sea surface temperatures continued to cool this week, dropping by 0.2–0.4°C across most of the Marine Park.

Tropical Cyclone Maila (37U) has now formed in the Solomon Sea and has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 system. Current Bureau of Meteorology forecasts show the system tracking into the Coral Sea, with a likely coastal crossing near Cape York Peninsula this weekend or early next week. Maila is expected to bring localised heavy rainfall, increasing the risk of flood plumes in the Marine Park and possible damage to coral and seagrass habitats from strong waves.

Encouragingly, coral bleaching alert levels have eased. The USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors ocean temperatures globally, has downgraded the Northern, Central, and Southern regions to n ...