Management Concern: High    

State of Knowledge: Low

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Tourism makes a significant contribution to the presentation, management and economic value of the Great Barrier Reef. 
• The impact of catchment run-off on inshore areas is expected to continue to affect the economic value of associated Reef-based industries.
  
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats. A decline in inshore habitats will have social implications for coastal communities.
• Climate related changes to the ecosystem are expected to seriously affect Reef-based industries and communities and could affect patterns of use and visitor satisfaction.
• Tourism activities are mainly focused on nature appreciation, especially of coral reef habitats. There is limited information about many species targeted by fishing and of the survival success of discarded species resulting in a poor understanding of the ecosystem effects of fishing.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook online include:

• Vulnerability of Great Barrier Reef tourism to climate change
  
• Public understanding of threats to the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Visitor satisfaction with tourism visits
  
• Intangible benefits of the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Trends in tourist visitor numbers
• Economic value of tourism to the Great Barrier Reef
• History of tourism use in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Trends in tourism visitation to the Great Barrier Reef
• Conservation and economic benefits of wildlife-based marine tourism: Sea turtle case study
• Scientific consensus statement on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Reef exposure to river contaminants ecosystem risk index
  
• Catchment influence on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Visitor satisfaction with tourism visits
• Development intensification and water quality pressures on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
• Population and urban growth in the Great Barrier Reef catchment
• Population centres in Queensland and Great Barrier Reef catchment 
• Population projections 
  

Existing policies and management actions

• Tourism operators are tackling climate change
  
• Policies and guidelines for managing tourism and recreational use
• Environmental Impact Management Policy [900KB]
  
• Policy on managing tourism permissions to operate in the GBRMPA, including allocation, latency and tenure
  
• Policy on moorings in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• Policy on managing bareboat operations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [530KB]
  
• Guidelines for coral transplantation
  
• Guidelines for the management of artificial reefs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• Guidelines for managing visitation to seabird breeding islands
  
• High standard tourism operations
  
• Ecocertification of Marine Park operators
  
• 15 year permits
  
• Tourist visitation to directly managed sites
  
• Site Management Arrangements   
  
• Responsible Reef Practices
  
• Vessel sewage management
  
• Tourism, recreation and community engagement
  
• Communicating with tourism and recreation stakeholders
  
• International recognition of tourism management achievements 
• Impact of pontoons on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Mon Repos turtle watching
  
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Plans of Management
• Australian Government policy on climate change 
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies 
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
• Permits
• Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program
  
• Eye on the Reef program
  

Future management requirements

• Review of management arrangements for swim with dwarf minke whale activities.
  

Defined research questions

• What are the thresholds of concern for reef ecosystems subject to both climate change impacts and high levels of visitation?
  
• How will economic revenues of Reef-dependant industries be affected by climate change?
  
• What are the current and predicted impacts of climate change – in combination with other pressures – on Great Barrier Reef tourism?
  
• What adaptation options are possible to reduce current and future predicted climate change impacts on Great Barrier Reef industries and communities?
  
• What resilience and restoration options exist to protect high-use tourism sites?
  
• What is the cost-benefit and risk of employing coral reef restoration measures at tourism sites affected by climate change?
  
• What mitigation measures can tourism operators adopt to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and lessen their environmental impact on the reef?
  
• What are the potential consequences of alternative land use and resource management systems on coral bleaching and ecological thresholds, and on social and economic systems in the Great Barrier Reef?

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring