Share The United Nations cultural agency had recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be placed on its endangered list. AFP Oz’s Reef sees more coral, but still at risk Mon, 19 July 2021 The Great Barrier Reef’s outlook remains “very poor” despite coral recovery over the past year, Australian government scientists said on July 19, just days before a UNESCO ruling on the site’s world heritage status. The UN cultural agency recommended last month that the world’s largest reef system be placed on its endangered list because of damage to the corals largely caused by climate change. The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) said the corals were currently in a “recovery window” after a reprieve that followed a decade of harmful heat stress and cyclones.