As part of the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority commissioned two external assessors to provide an independent assessment of the measures to protect and manage the ecosystem.

The assessment included all activities both inside and outside the Great Barrier Reef Region that contribute to the protection and management of the ecosystem.

Twelve broad management topics were assessed ranging in scale from localised issues that affect only a small area (such as Defence activities) to others that have broader implications (such as climate change and coastal development).

Challenges in effective management were found in topics that are complex and broad in scale (e.g. fishing and water quality). Issues limited in scale, intensity and complexity (e.g. scientific research) showed the strongest management effectiveness.

This assessment was incorporated into Chapter 6, Existing Protection and Management of the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009.