The Coral Index score remained ‘poor’ having improved slightly since 2021. Scores for both Coral cover and Cover change in 2022 were in the moderate range as coral cover on most reefs continued to increase. In contrast, Composition remains poor reflecting an increased proportion of Montipora compared to historical observations on several reefs. Continued very high cover of macroalgae and declining or low densities of juvenile corals are reflected in ‘very poor’ scores for their respective indicators. The state of reefs varied markedly across the region. Coral cover was highest at the reef furthest from the coast, Barren Island. In contrast, persistent cover of large, brown macroalgae continue to suppress coral community recovery at most other reefs

Overall, the seagrass condition score for the Fitzroy region reduced and remained poor in 2021–22. Both indicators declined: the abundance score was very poor and the resilience score was poor.
Seagrass abundance declined at all locations and habitats on average across the Fitzroy region in 2021–22, but there were increases in abundance at two sites. The largest declines were in the coastal habitats in Shoalwater Bay. Abundances remain very low at the reef intertidal sites, however there was an increase in the proportion of H. univervis, a foundational species, to the highest level on record.
Overall resilience in the Fitzroy region was poor but the trend varied among habitats and sites. At coastal habitats, resilience declined sharply at one site but increased at the other to the highest level in 12 years due to an increase in reproductive effort. In reef intertidal habitat, resilience increased to the highest level in 13 years at one site due to an improvement in species composition but declined at the other. Inshore seagrass meadows across the region continue to decline for the second year in a row, after what had been gradual recovery over 2012–13 to 2019–20 from multiple years of climate related impacts.

The annual condition WQ Index scored water quality as ‘good’ for the 2021–22 water year. This is the second year for which it is possible to calculate this Index. This version of the Index scores water quality parameters against GVs relevant to the season when samples are collected (wet versus dry GVs) and includes additional sites in the open coastal water body to better characterise areas affected by river discharge.
The WQ Index is divided into three categories: Water Clarity which includes Turbidity, Secchi Depth and Total Suspended Solids (TSS); Productivity which includes Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx); and Particulate Nutrients which includes Particulate Nitrogen (PN) and Particulate Phosphorus (PP).
River discharge was around the long-term median level in the Fitzroy focus region this year, which likely contributed to a ‘good’ annual condition score. Discharge in 2021–22 was slightly greater than that seen in 2020–21 (the lowest discharge year in the previous decade).
During the 2021–22 water year, concentrations of Chl-a and PO4 were generally below (meeting) the GVs at most sites except Fitzroy River Mouth (PO4) and Peak West (Chl-a and PO4). All other variables exceeded the GVs at most sites. Concentrations of NOx exceeded (did not meet) the GVs at all sites in the Fitzroy region, and Secchi depth did not meet GVs at any site monitored. Concentrations of PN exceeded (did not meet) GVs at North Keppel, Barren Island, and Peak West, while PP exceeded GVs at all monitoring sites except Barren Island.