蜜芽传媒

It sounds like an unusual day out for diplomats: ambassadors from more than a dozen countries including China went for a snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef this week - but it was for a very specific purpose.

Australia is lobbying heavily against a recommendation from the UN body, Unesco, that the reef should be officially declared "endangered" - a move which could have an impact on tourism and jobs.

Unesco's World Heritage Committee meets today and will make a decision over the next few days.

The Australian government argues that the Chinese are using Unesco as a way to target Australia, with diplomatic relations at a low point. But Richard Leck of World Wide Fund for Nature Australia says the decision will be based on scientific reports provided by the Australian government:

"We've had a huge impact on the reef over recent years and what Unesco is doing is recognising that catastrophic loss but also recognising that the Australian government simply doesn't have a climate change policy that's consistent with giving the reef the best chance of survival. And that is why they have recommended for the reef to be listed in danger."

(Photo: Bleached coral on the Great Barrier Reef outside Cairns during a mass bleaching event. Credit: Getty Images)

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