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A scuba diver with a yellow tape measure over an array of bleached acropora species with a school of jellyfish above them.

Small tropical fish yellow, black, blue swim around a white acropora bleached coral.

"We have identified these high value regions that are worthy of protecting to give them the best chance to survive and to replenish the other coral reefs."

Six map of the great barrier reef in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2020 showing bleaching extent.

A map of Queensland showing where climate refugia exist alongside different use zonings.

A mixture of acropora corals close up bleaching with one red acropora showing signs on its tips of bleaching.

Two maps of the Great Barrier Reef showing north and south still cooler in 2050 but north no longer so in 2080.

"Our understanding of the biological responses to warming in the identified climate refugia regions of the Great Barrier Reef remains limited,"
Dr McWhorter said.

Red and orange dots indicating heavy bleaching all along the length of where the reef sits off Queensland.

A staghorn coral bleached white with small tropical fish that are blue, yellow and other colours swimming around.

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