Management Concern: Low     Adequacy of Information: Low

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• The biodiversity of macroalgae is being maintained but there is little information about its condition.
  
• 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 
  
• Indirect effects of algae on coral: algae-mediated, microbe-induced coral mortality
  
• Coral community changes in the Whitsundays Islands
  
• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Inshore Reef Monitoring: hard coral, soft coral and algal cover 
• Doom and boom on a resilient reef: climate change, algal overgrowth and coral recovery 
• Competition between corals and algae on coral reefs
  
• State of herbivorous fish populations  
• Fisheries: catch information
  

Existing policies and management actions

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park legislation and regulations
  
• 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

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