Management Concern: High    

Adequacy of Information: Low

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• The incidence of coral disease may be increasing in some areas.
  
• Some studies have indicated a potential link between coral disease and increasing sea temperatures as a result of climate change.
  

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Links between mass coral bleaching and coral disease outbreaks 
  
• Coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Thermal stress and coral cover as drivers of coral disease
  
• Black band disease on the Great Barrier Reef 
  

Existing policies and management actions

• Australian Institute of Marine Science Long Term Monitoring Program
  
• Australian Government policy on climate change 
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies 
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
• Queensland Biosecurity Strategy 2009-2014
  

Future management requirements

• Future management requirements in this area are being guided by ongoing assessment of emerging research outcomes and issues identified by the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2009.

Defined research questions

• Will the risk of coral disease outbreaks that cause widespread mortality on the Great Barrier Reef increase under predicted climate change scenarios?  
  
• What are the trends in incidence of coral disease?
  
• How are outbreaks of coral disease triggered?
  
• How are coral diseases transmitted?
  

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring