The Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009 assesses the current state of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem’s environmental, social and economic values, examines the pressures on the Reef, the effectiveness of current responses and finally considers the likely outlook for the Great Barrier Reef.

Full Report:

• Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009 - Full Report

Individual Chapters as follows:

• Introductory Pages  Letter of transmittal, acknowledgements and publication details [reprinted with corrections Nov 2009]

• Executive Summary  Overview of the key findings of the Report

• Table of Contents  Detailed list of the contents of the Report, including lists of figures and tables

• About this Report  Explanation about the Report, its scope, structure and assessment approach, the evidence used and the process of development

• Chapter 1. The Great Barrier Reef  Overview of the Great Barrier Reef, its values and management

• Chapter 2. Biodiversity  Assessment of the current biodiversity within the Great Barrier Reef Region, examining both habitats to support species and populations of species and groups of species

• Chapter 3. Ecosystem Health  Assessment of the current health of the ecosystem within the Great Barrier Reef Region, examining physical, chemical and ecological processes as well as outbreaks of diseases, introduced species and pest species

• Chapter 4. Commercial and Non-Commercial Use  Assessment of commercial and non-commercial use of the Great Barrier Reef Region (commercial marine tourism, defence activities, fishing, ports and shipping, recreation, scientific research and traditional use of marine resources), examining the benefits and impacts of each use.

• Chapter 5. Factors Influencing the Reef's Values  Assessment of the factors influencing the current and projected future environmental, economic and social values of the Great Barrier Reef Region, examining climate change, coastal development, catchment runoff and direct use

• Chapter 6. Existing Protection and Management  Assessment of the existing measures to protect and manage the ecosystem within the Great Barrier Reef Region, examining all activities that contribute to protection and management, both inside and outside the Great Barrier Reef Region [reprinted with corrections (page 141) Nov 2009]

• Chapter 7. Ecosystem Resilience  Assessment of the current resilience of the ecosystem within the Great Barrier Reef Region, supplemented by a series of case studies examining recovery after disturbance

• Chapter 8. Risks to the Reef  Assessment of the risks to the ecosystem within the Great Barrier Reef Region, examining the likelihood and consequence of identified threats to establish the highest risks

• Chapter 9. Long-Term Outlook  Assessment of the long-term outlook for the ecosystem within the Great Barrier Reef Region, including the likely trends in key factors and the current initiatives to improve resilience

• Appendices and Index  Outline of the statutory requirements for the Outlook Report, the process of developing the Report, the identified threats to the ecosystem and the criteria for ranking likelihood and consequence, plus the Index to the full Report.