Management Concern: Moderate     Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• The biodiversity of macroalgae is being maintained but there is little information about its condition.
  
• Coral reefs are expected to be increasingly dominated by fleshy and turf macroalgae under the projected impacts of climate change.
• Higher concentrations of nutrients potentially lead to a decrease in coral diversity and an increase in macroalgae abundance. Such a shift drastically affects the overall resilience of the ecosystem as a dominance of macroalgae reduces the chance for new hard corals to establish and grow.
• By feeding on the algae of a reef, herbivores (such as some fish and green turtles) reduce the amount of algae, generally making space for corals to regrow and increase in numbers after disturbances. Herbivorous fish are not targeted for commercial or recreational fisheries in the Great Barrier Reef.
  

What do we know? (relevant pages from Outlook Online)

• Algal diversity and distribution
• Ecological roles of macroalgae
• State of the Great Barrier Reef report: macroalgae [744Kb]
• List of Australian vulnerable macroalgae 
• List of Australian vulnerable macroalgae II 
  
• Macroalgae, nutrients and phase shifts on coral reefs
  
• Indirect effects of algae on coral: algae-mediated, microbe-induced coral mortality
  
• Blooms of 'Golden Noodle' algae on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Coral community changes in the Whitsundays Islands
  
• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Inshore Reef Monitoring: hard coral, soft coral and algal cover 
• Development intensification and water quality pressures on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
• Changes in algal, coral and fish assemblages along water quality gradients
  
• Doom and boom on a resilient reef: climate change, algal overgrowth and coral recovery 
• Competition between corals and algae on coral reefs
  
• Water Quality effects on macroalgae
  
• Vulnerability of macroalgae of the Great Barrier Reef to climate change 
  
• State of herbivorous fish populations  
• Fisheries: catch information
  

Existing policies and management actions

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park legislation and regulations
  
• Improving water quality
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Regional water quality improvement plans
• Plans of Management
  
• Permits
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Fisheries: legislative management arrangements
• Fisheries: other management tools
• Fisheries: information systems
  
• Queensland Fisheries Strategy 2009-2014
• Queensland Fisheries policies and legislation
  
• Queensland Fisheries monitoring 
• Queensland Management of Commercial Fisheries
  
• Queensland Management of Recreational Fisheries
• Australian Government policy on climate change
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012

Future management requirements

• Biodiversity strategy
• GBRMPA position statement on herbivorous fish

Defined research questions

• There are currently no defined research questions for this topic. Research questions will be developed, giving priority to interactions/issues that are of most concern to management.

Current Research and Monitoring