When I was last in Australia, back in 2019, I spent a bit of time out at the reef with local-run dive boat. On the way out, I was chatting with the crew, and they were talking about how exciting it was that some of the conservation efforts were really paying off finally.

They were saying that some of the spots they visit were finally visibly improving over time rather than bleaching over time basically for the first time since they started running trips out on the reef.

Of course, if the water temperature rises enough, or if the ocean acidifies enough, the conservation efforts will stop being enough to make a difference, but for now it's nice to see the recovery underway.