Where does research take place in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park?

The enormous size of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park means that most of it is not easily accessible. This has implications for where research takes place. A large amount of scientific research is undertaken in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park by researchers from various institutes throughout Australia and internationally. Much of this research occurs around the five scientific research stations operating in the Marine Park. These stations and the marine habitats surrounding them provide scientists with the facilities they need to conduct their work. The five research stations are spread along the length of the Great Barrier Reef:

• Lizard Island Research Station (Australian Museum)
• Low Isles Research Station (University of Queensland)
• Orpheus Island Research Station (James Cook University)
• Heron Island Research Station (University of Queensland)
• One Tree Island Research Station (University of Sydney)

However, research also takes place in many other locations on the Great Barrier Reef. Links to research programmes and the information they provide is included below:

• Much of the scientific research for management of the Great Barrier Reef is supported by the Government's Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (managed by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre).
  
• Information about coral cover, reef fish and crown-of-thorns starfish at individual reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park can be obtained from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).
• The Marine Monitoring Programme was initiated in response to the implementation of the Australian and Queensland Government's Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. This plan will help researchers and managers understand the potential impact of declining water quality on the health of the Marine Park.
• Information on the abundance, diversity and health of seagrasses along the Great Barrier Reef coast can be obtained from Seagrass Watch; a community-based monitoring programme aiming to increase awareness of seagrass ecosystems and provide early warnings of changes to the coastal environment.
• While there is a large body of research on the communities comprising the coral reef ecosystems within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, little is known about the myriad of organisms that inhabit the deeper parts of the Marine Park. Since 2003, the Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project has been mapping the sea floor habitats of the Marine Park and the organisms occurring at these depths.
• Reef Futures, developed by the CRC Reef Research Centre, provides information about monitoring programmes on the Great Barrier Reef. Search options are available on the Reef Futures Knowledge Management System that allows you to create web maps showing the location of a particular programme.
• The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) operates and maintains a series of remote weather stations on the Great Barrier Reef and in Western Australia. Weather data from the stations can be obtained from the AIMS remote data station website.
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's online library catalogue allows you to search for scientific articles and other information.