The satellite data collected since 1985 found that most of the areas of the Great Barrier Reef in term of the sea surface temperature are changing significantly and the most affected of them is the southern part of the reef.
The high water temperatures increase the risk of coral bleaching. Across the whole reef, the water temperatures are increasing by an average of 0.2 of a degree in the last twenty five years but the increase is significantly more in some areas. For instance, the water off Rockhampton has warmed by about half a degree over a quarter of a century.
These changes are also altering the seasonal pattern of water temperature at particular places along the reef. As a result, in some areas summer is coming earlier and lasting longer and in other areas, both the summers and the winters are warmer compared to the past, thus affecting the sea life.