Climate change is already affecting the Great Barrier Reef, and greater impacts are predicted over the course of this century. Climate change will affect fundamental environmental processes, alter habitats, and change the behaviour, abundance and distribution of many species.

Many of these changes will have implications for the communities and industries such as tourism and fishing that depend on the Reef; building their resilience to these changes will be increasingly important if economic and social impacts of climate change are to be minimised.

The goals of GBRMPA's actions on climate change are to reduce the severity of these impacts.

The GBRMPA engages with industries and communities to:

• Provide relevant information on ecosystem impacts and risks

• Support them as they devise and implement adaptation practices

• Support the incorporation of adaptation practices into business models

• Encourage them to contribute to efforts to build the Reef's resilience to climate change

• Collecting data that can help understand social and economic risks and identify strategies to reduce vulnerability to changes in reef condition under a changing climate.

The main goal of this work is to build the capacity of industries and communities to adapt to climate change risks and opportunities. GBRMPA has been assisting industries assess their vulnerability, develop and prioritise adaptation strategies and implement resilience strategies through improved business practices.

Sectors that have begun this process include:

• Aquarium collection fishery: Developed a Stewardship Action Plan, completed climate change vulnerability assessment and is moving into adaption planning

• Marine tourism industry: established and implementing a Climate Change Action Strategy, focussing on adaptation practices

• Seafood fishery: The trawl sector is undergoing vulnerability assessment, moving into adaptation planning.