Species in The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

For ease of consideration of all the species in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA), in this report the Species Conservation Program has grouped species of conservation interest according to the following divisions:

• ‘Listed Threatened, or Migratory or Marine Species’
• Species of special interest
• Other marine species of conservation concern
• Island flora and fauna

 ‘Listed Threatened, or Migratory or Marine Species’

These species are given special conservation protection by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Species listed as threatened under the EPBC Act, Section 178, have a conservation status classified as either extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, lower risk, or data deficient (Table 3).

Listed migratory species, Section 209 of the EPBC Act, are those that occur on the appendices to the Bonn Convention or are listed under JAMBA and CAMBA as noted in Tables 1 and 2.

Species are also categorised as ‘listed marine species’ in the EPBC Act, Section 248. The listed marine species, described in detail in Appendix 2, include:

• Sea snakes (Families Hydrophiidae and Laticaudidae)
• Seals (Families Phocidae and Otariidae)
• Crocodiles (Genus Crocodylus)
• Dugongs (Genus Dugong)
• Marine turtles (Families Cheloniidae and Dermochelidae)
• Seahorses, Sea-dragons, Pipefish (Families Syngnathidae, Solenostomidae)
• Birds (Class Aves)

Species of special interest

Cetaceans require special consideration under Division 3 of the EPBC Act. Within the GBRMP, this is provided for under the GBRMPA’s Policy Document for Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2000) (Appendix 3).

The EPBC Act establishes an Australian Whale Sanctuary ‘in order to give formal recognition of the high level of protection and management afforded to cetaceans in Commonwealth marine areas and prescribed waters’. It also establishes a number of offences relating to, for example, killing, injuring, or taking cetaceans, and provides for issuing permits to conduct whalewatching.

The Australian Whale Sanctuary includes most of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area except State coastal waters (3 nautical miles from the Queensland coast or a State owned island).

Other marine species of conservation concern

Although not included in the previous two categories, the marine species in Appendix 4 are considered to also be of conservation concern within the GBRMP.

Island flora and fauna

The non-marine species discussed in Appendix 5 occur on continental islands and coral cays in the GBRWHA. Their management is primarily the role of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) as part of day-to-day management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, State Marine Parks and Island National Parks.

Outline of information in Appendices 2-5

For each of the species or species groups in Appendices 2, 3, 4, 5 information is presented about the:

• extent of knowledge including information on the biology, ecology, life history and population trends in the GBRWHA. This information is not an exhaustive account of all available knowledge about the species or species group. Rather it highlights species diversity and knowledge about population trends in the GBRWHA. Additional information is contained within The Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area  (Lucas et al. 1997), and State of the Great Barrier Reef Report (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2003).
• conservation status of individual species. This is the species’ status as listed under Queensland and Commonwealth legislation and international agreements and noted in Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Appendix 2.
• human related threats to populations include both potential and actual threats and those listed as Key Threatening Processes under the EPBC Act; and
• actions currently underway or proposed by the Species Conservation Program of the GBRMPA and by associated agencies and stakeholders to address conservation concerns for the species/species groups.

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