Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Terry Hughes

@profterryhughes.bsky.social

7K followers 2K following 9.4K posts

Scientist, mentor, posting on #ecology and #conservation, #environment, #climate change and #coral reefs. Australian-Irish. Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=MhJ2LfsAAAAJ&hl=en .. more

Videos

Terence P. Hughes is a professor of marine biology at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. He is known for research on the global coral bleaching event caused by climate change. Nature dubbed him "Reef sentinel" in 2016 for the global role he plays in applying multi-disciplinary science to securing reef sustainability. He is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. His research interests encompass coral reef ecology, macroecology and evolution, as well as social-ecological interactions. His recent work has focused on marine ecology, macroecology, climate change, identifying safe planetary boundaries for human development, and on transformative governance of the sea in Australia, Chile, China, the Galapagos Islands, Gulf of Maine and the Coral Triangle. His career citations in Google Scholar exceed 88,000. .. more

Environmental science 68%

Geography 19%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Jan 18

Interview re coral reefs with Scientific American:

“We shouldn’t give up on the world’s coral reefs…. But restoration is not the way to save them.

The way to save them is to deal with greenhouse gas emissions, & that, of course, is much, much harder.”

www.scientificamerican.com/article/eart...

Earth’s Coral Reefs Face a New, Deadly Mass Bleaching. They Can Still Be Saved

“A mass bleaching event is, by definition, a mass mortality event,” a leading coral reef expert says

www.scientificamerican.com

8 87 180

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Sep 1

“More than 34,000 dead marine animals have been logged (on beaches) – while, of course, far more have gone unobserved.”

The true death toll - silent and unseen - is billions of marine animals and plants.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

61 leafy seadragons, 604 Port Jackson sharks: logging the grim tally of death in South Australia’s algal bloom

Experts say data reported by beachgoers is ‘hugely useful’ after a slow official response to disaster

www.theguardian.com

7 76 150

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes

Renew Economy @reneweconomy.com.au · Aug 27

New research from The Australia Institute shows that 26 out of Australia’s 37 universities have financial links to fossil fuel companies.

reneweconomy.com.au

3 22 29

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 25

😪

Reposted by Du Toit, Karen O’Leary

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 22

One of three coal exporting ports - on The Best-Managed World-Heritage-listed Coral Reef in the World.

2 16 42

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 19

Tim, you might be interested in this study of shifting baselines on the condition of the Great Barrier Reef. www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Global Trajectories of the Long-Term Decline of Coral Reef Ecosystems

Degradation of coral reef ecosystems began centuries ago, but there is no global summary of the magnitude of change. We compiled records, extending back thousands of years, of the status and trends of...

www.science.org

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 19

The AIMS monitoring program was initiated in response to declines in coral cover in the 1960s and 1970s. Nearshore reefs were excluded from the program because they were already degraded. 20% cover is not “high”.

2 2

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, A. E. Dessler, Wayne Dawson , and 12 more Terry P. Hughes, A. E. Dessler, Wayne Dawson, Gavin A. Schmidt, Anthony Ricciardi, Michael J. Allen, Efrén O. Pérez, Juan Cole, Aaron Sojourner, Tom van der Meer, Jesús Rodríguez Pomeda, Matthijs Rooduijn, Andrew Watkins, Federica Genovese, Karen O’Leary

John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · Aug 18

Climate models since the 1970s nailed it—most predicted global warming almost exactly as it happened.

40 630 1.4K

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, Adrian Vickers

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · Aug 15

Glencore, a company that's expanding a massive coal mine in Queensland, Australia, is going to destroy a massive amount of koala habitat - and plans to buy 'koala offsets' to claim they've undone that damage

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

6.0 Final Score and Offset Liability
Significant residual impacts will occur to environmental matters from the development of the
study area and environmental offsets will likely be required through the State and
Commonwealth approvals process. A land-based approach is required for significant
residual impacts to MNES and a land-based approach should take precedence for MSES as
these can be co-located in a single or multiple offset areas. Any residual MSES not covered
by a land-based approach can then be sought through a financial settlement.
6.1 Combination Offset for MSES
A land-based offset will primarily be sought for those State prescribed environmental matters
where a significant residual impact will occur (Table 27). Any proposed offset area for MNES
can also be ground-truthed for those prescribed environmental matters in Table 27. Any
residual quantity for those prescribed environmental matter not covered by a land-based
option may be sought through the DES web-based financial settlement offset calculator.
6.2 Land-based Offset for MNES
A referral and subsequent approval under the EPBC Act is required for significant impacts to
MNES. Overlapping significant environmental matters within the study area where a
significant impact under the EPBC Act have been identified as likely to occur include Koala
and Squatter Pigeon (Southern) habitat (Table 31). Given that significant impacts to MNES
will occur within the study area, offsets in accordance with EPBC Act offset policy will be
required. Note that there is a minimum of a 90 % land-based offset mechanism required
under the EPBC Act offset policy. Multipliers for land area are determined via a number of
parameters, many of which are dependent on attributes of a suitable offset land parcel, and
will therefore be determined when additional information from the offset strategy is available.
Table 31 The quantity and quality of MNES habitat where a significant impact has
been identified
MNES Quantity impacted (ha) …

18 100 160

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 12

Official vague statement released in May 2024.

We knew by then that billions of corals were dead or dying due to extreme heat stress in Jan-March. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Australian government stayed silent for another 14 months, until after an election & more fossil fuel permits.

1 26 54

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 12

🤦🏻‍♂️

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, Tim Stephens

David Pocock @davidpocock.bsky.social · Aug 11

Last week we learned the Great Barrier Reef has suffered some of the worst bleaching in history

This week, Ningaloo, another 🇦🇺 icon is experiencing catastrophic coral loss

These are national treasures. We must take strong action on climate to save them.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

'Hope spot' to 'skeletons': Ningaloo's 'catastrophic' event

In Western Australia, the damage to coral reefs including the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo has eclipsed any previous bleaching events.

www.abc.net.au

12 77 170

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, Libby Robin

David Pocock @davidpocock.bsky.social · Aug 11

Concerning reports the unreleased National Climate Risk Assessment is “dire” and “diabolical”.

It maps what the people & places we love stand to lose from climate change.

We should know this before the govt sets our 2035 emissions target

Release it now.
www.afr.com/policy/energ...

Labor keeps ‘dire’ climate report under wraps

The government has delayed the release of a “shocking” assessment of global warming’s effect on the economy, just weeks before its 2035 target decision.

www.afr.com

9 95 190

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 10

You haven’t been paying attention if you’re surprised that Ningaloo Reef is affected (again) by climate change.

“Unprecedented Mass Bleaching and Loss of Coral across 12° of Latitude in Western Australia in 2010–11”. journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

‘It was our hope spot’: scientists heartbroken as pristine coral gardens hit by Western Australia’s worst bleaching event

Usually alive with colour and fish, Ningaloo reef and the Rowley Showls now look as though they are ‘painted white’ as temperatures rise

www.theguardian.com

6 36 67

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 10

If the Great Barrier Reef had a voice, it would be screaming 😱

Picture shows a 500yr old bleached coral, clinging to life - off Heron island, April 2024.

4 53 100

Reposted by Christopher Wright

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 9

Mass mortality of corals throughout the Great Barrier Reef in 2024 has been hidden from the public since late last year, with this exception - published last December:

www.voanews.com/a/surveys-sh...

2 30 51

Reposted by Andrew Watkins

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 9

Law Society Journal: “The appointment of envoys might appear to the cynical as reactionary measures to public demand for action….”

lsj.com.au/articles/the...

1 11 12

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, Du Toit

Ali Sheridan @alisheridan.bsky.social · Aug 9

The recent ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate has been cited for the first time in a climate litigation case in South Africa, challenging the approval of an oil project.

thegreenconnection.org.za/wp-content/u...

thegreenconnection.org.za

13 32

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 9

Australia: The political appointment of “Special Envoy to the Great Barrier Reef” has been quietly scrapped.

And nobody actually noticed.

thenightly.com.au/politics/aar...

Jobs for the ‘voys: MPs caught between Cabinet and backbench

The fastest-growing parliamentary jobs are special envoys, who occupy a twilight zone between minister and backbencher. Their responsibilities are vague.

thenightly.com.au

1 7 13

Reposted by Tiffany H. Morrison

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 8

Interesting article on mobility of early career researchers, and the barriers they face. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How researcher visa curbs threaten science careers

Anti-immigration sentiment is fuelling a drive to slash international student and worker numbers, but at what cost to researchers and countries leading the charge?

www.nature.com

3 7

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes, Robert C. Richards

Liz Hicks @lizhicks.bsky.social · Aug 8

Enjoyed speaking to Ethan Hamilton @ Law Society Journal about how the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change will shape Australia’s obligations to our Pacific neighbours, particularly as one of the largest exporters of fossil fuels in the world.

lsj.com.au/articles/int...

International ruling highlights Australia’s climate obligations to Pacific neighbours - Law Society Journal

A ruling in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has highlighted Australia’s obligation to smaller nations affected by climate change and could open the country...

lsj.com.au

2 15 35

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 8

″⁣Following the consideration of rigorous scientific and other advice, a proposed decision to approve the North West Shelf gas development has been made”.

Of course, ‘consideration’ actually means ‘dismissal’.

The Sydney Morning Herald (unofficial) @smhaustralia.nzcow.com · Aug 7

📢 The west-coast reef has largely escaped the curse of coral bleaching that has blighted the Great Barrier Reef. This year, that’s changed.

‘You realise your children are probably never going to see Ningaloo the way you saw it’

www.smh.com.au

1 20 33

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 8

True, you can feed aquarium corals with brine shrimp.

But how do you feed billions of surviving wild corals in an area the size of 70 million football fields?

William Taylor @williamtaylor100.bsky.social · Aug 7

Scientists are hunting for "super corals" and exploring nutritional supplements to boost resilience. Can these efforts save the Great Barrier Reef? #GreatBarrierReef #CoralReefs

‘Super corals’ and supplements: Inside the lab trying to save the Great Barrier Reef

Editor’s Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire po

www.onlytrustedinfo.com

5 17

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 8

Sources:

2016, left - www.nature.com/articles/s41...

2024, right - theconversation.com/worlds-bigge...

Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages - Nature

Acute heat stress from the extended marine heatwave of 2016 is a potent driver of the transformation of coral assemblages, which affects even the most remote and well-protected reefs of the Great Barr...

www.nature.com

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 8

AFP fact check: “Pour sauver la Barrière de Corail, le monde doit rapidement réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre", appelle moi.

Culling a few starfish won’t climate-proof coral reefs. factuel.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

factuel.afp.com

3 4

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes

William Taylor @williamtaylor100.bsky.social · Aug 7

Scientists are hunting for "super corals" and exploring nutritional supplements to boost resilience. Can these efforts save the Great Barrier Reef? #GreatBarrierReef #CoralReefs

‘Super corals’ and supplements: Inside the lab trying to save the Great Barrier Reef

www.onlytrustedinfo.com

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 7

The image of dying corals comes from Lizard Island in 2016, not 2024.

Here’s a comparison of coral mortality in the northern Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2024.

1 12 21

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 7

The middle region of the Great Barrier Reef was under-sampled in 2024 surveys - only 3 reefs between Cairns and Townsville. theconversation.com/worlds-bigge...

10 11

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes

The Sydney Morning Herald (unofficial) @smhaustralia.nzcow.com · Aug 7

📢 The west-coast reef has largely escaped the curse of coral bleaching that has blighted the Great Barrier Reef. This year, that’s changed.

‘You realise your children are probably never going to see Ningaloo the way you saw it’

www.smh.com.au

Terry Hughes @profterryhughes.bsky.social · Aug 7

The media (and annual reports) tend to focus on single catastrophic climate events.

Yes, the 2024 coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef was terrible.

But it’s the cumulative impacts of recurring disasters that matters in the longer term.

www.smh.com.au/environment/...

1 19 31

Reposted by Terry P. Hughes

Paul Eric Scannell @pauleric70.bsky.social · Aug 7

Mike Hudema

Water temperatures around Australia's Great Barrier Reef were the warmest they've been in over 400 years this year, according to new research.

Scientists say the reef is facing "catastrophic damage."

No time to waste. ActOnClimate

5 30 41