Australia is famous for its coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef on the east coast and Ningaloo Reef in the west. Both World Heritage-listed reefs attract thousands of visitors each year.

But there’s another vast network of coral reefs in Australia that few people know about. More than 1,000 uncharted northern coral reefs were recently identified using satellite imagery along the north coast of Australia.

Due to the remote location, and the challenge of conducting fieldwork in croc-inhabited waters, these northern reefs have been largely overlooked and understudied. They are deeply valuable to the species that call them home, and the Traditional Owners on whose Sea Countries they lie yet their value to Australia has too often gone unrecognised.

As marine heatwaves and coral bleaching on Australian reefs become more frequent and severe, work to safeguard them must extend beyond iconic systems to include Australia’s northern reefs. Otherwise, we risk losing them – not because they are less important, but because they are largely out of sight and out of mind for many Australians.

Why Australia’s hidden reefs matter

Coral reefs provide immense ecological, economic and cultural value by harbouring marine animals and plants, supporting fisheries that feed........

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