[Extract] Agricultural practices are accelerating the health decline of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, afffecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems (see also S.L. Maxwell et al. Nature 536, 143-145; 2016). Last month intensive opposition from the agricultural lobby blocked new legislation by the Queensland government that woudl have protected the reef's catchment areas from land clearing - despite support for the legislation from almost 500 scientists (go.nature.com/2cnlftg).