Slade Rock

Hard coral cover at Slade Island has had notable declines in 2010 and 2017 following tropical cyclones and again in 2020 following the significant regional heat stress event. More recently, however there have been increases to soft and hard corals. Reductions in macroalgae, which occurred alongside the 2020 heat stress event, has largely persisted, potentially providing greater light penetration and substrate for coral growth.

Over 13 years of monitoring, coral disease has come and gone in the inshore reefs of Mackay and Hay Point. Severe bleaching has been less common — only recorded during the region-wide 2020 marine heatwave. During the 2024 elevated SST event, bleaching was minor in comparison, highlighting the complexity of these reef systems and the measured response to heat stress.