--- description: Australia is pledging $379 million to rescue the ailing Great Barrier Reef, its largest-ever investment in coral reef conservation title: Australia Allots $379 Million to Save the Great Barrier Reef image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde79ee119526690f/69892f0f8fd2ee868a35b776/gettyimages-883296224.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Australia](/tag/australia/) ## Australia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Australia Is Investing $379 Million in an Effort to Save the Great Barrier Reef by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2018 5:53 AM CUT  Reef Scene with Crinoid and Fishes, Great Barrier Reef, Australia April 20, 2015 Reef Scene with Crinoid and Fishes, Great Barrier Reef, Australia April 20, 2015Reinhard Dirscherl—ullstein bild/Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2018 5:53 AM CUT Australia has pledged A$500 million ($379 million) in an effort to [rescue](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/world/australia/great-barrier-reef-plan.html "undefined") the ailing Great Barrier Reef in the country’s largest-ever investment in coral reef conservation. The landmark plan includes funds for improving water quality by reducing pollution from farm fertilizer runoff, and encourage reef restoration by experimenting with laboratory-grown coral that is more durable at higher temperatures, the New York _Times_ reports. The proposal also includes A$58 million ($43.8 million) to stem the spread of [crown-of-thorn starfish](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-29/great-barrier-reef-$500m-package-to-preserve-area/9708230 "undefined"), a poisonous coral-eating predator. “We’ll be improving the monitoring of the reef’s health and the measurement of its impacts,” Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said at the plan’s announcement on Sunday. “The more we understand about the reef, the better we can protect it.” But scientists and environmental advocates warn that the 1,400-mile-long Great Barrier Reef is already facing a full ecosystem collapse with global warming increasing water temperatures and acidity, leading to extensive [coral bleaching](http://time.com/4584806/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching/ "undefined"). Two successive heat waves in 2016 and 2017 [killed off nearly half](http://time.com/5246117/great-barrier-reef-coral-global-warming/ "undefined") of the northern reef’s coral, according to a study published this month.  A man snorkels in an area called the "Coral Gardens" in the Great Barrier Reef, near Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. David Gray—Reuters Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s administration has also come under criticism for pursuing environmentally burdensome gas and coal projects rather than investing in renewable energies that emit fewer greenhouse gases. Unless the coral conservation plan is accompanied by a “[strong policy](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-29/great-barrier-reef-$500m-package-to-preserve-area/9708230 "undefined"), to slash our carbon pollution, stop the Adani coal mine and rapidly shift Australia to renewable energy, we will not see a future for the reef,” said Imogen Zethoven of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australia’s ABC News reports. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5259273/australia-great-barrier-reef-investment-coral/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5259273/australia-great-barrier-reef-investment-coral/"},"headline":"Australia Is Investing $379 Million in an Effort to Save the Great Barrier Reef","datePublished":"2018-04-30T05:53:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:57:52.942Z","description":"Scientists warn that the 1,400 mile reef is facing a full collapse","url":"https://time.com/5259273/australia-great-barrier-reef-investment-coral/","keywords":["Australia","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde79ee119526690f/69892f0f8fd2ee868a35b776/gettyimages-883296224.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde79ee119526690f/69892f0f8fd2ee868a35b776/gettyimages-883296224.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Reef Scene with Crinoid and Fishes, Great Barrier Reef, Australia","caption":"Reef Scene with Crinoid and Fishes, Great Barrier Reef, Australia","creditText":"Reinhard Dirscherl—ullstein bild/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/australia/","name":"Australia"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5259273/australia-great-barrier-reef-investment-coral/","name":"Australia Is Investing $379 Million in an Effort to Save the Great Barrier Reef"}}]}] ```