Despite mass coral bleaching events in the summers of 2016 and 2017 that badly damaged parts of the reef, much of the marine park - roughly the size of Japan - continues to thrive. A visit to the largest living structure on Earth remains an experience of a lifetime.
Over the past couple of years, coral has regenerated and local scientists have developed innovative ways to foster coral growth both in and out of the water.
Johnny Gaskell and his team have been propagating coral in nurseries built within the marine park, and also in custom-built tanks where the corals spend four to five months growing before being planted back into damaged reef sites.
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