Management Concern: High     Adequacy of Information: Good

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• There are more than 500 species of corals, with localised declines in some hard corals and limited information about soft corals, sea pens and sea fans.
• Since the 1980s, coral, particularly hard corals, have been affected by temperature-induced mass bleaching events. In future, these events are likely to become more frequent and more severe and, increasingly, hard corals will be exposed to the damaging effects of ocean acidification.
• Anchoring of tourism vessels has the potential to damage corals. Diving and snorkelling can cause localised damage to coral. There are now a range of mandatory and voluntary management arrangements that minimise the impact of commercial tourism operations in the great Barrier Reef, such that the impacts associated with tourism activities are seen as minor.
• The broad scale and cumulative ecosystem effects of fishing on coral reefs are little studied.
• There have been few studies on the impacts of recreational use on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. Localised but frequent anchor damage to corals is a likely impact, along with littering, boat strikes on marine mammals and turtles, and fin damage to corals when snorkelling and diving.
• Much of the research activity on the Great Barrier Reef is confined to areas surrounding the six island research stations. With ongoing management, any impacts of research are likely to be small and localised in the immediate area of study.
• There are fewer species of both hard and soft coral inshore adjacent to developed areas. Generally, the number and variety of corals increases with distance from river mouths, showing the important role that water quality plays in coral health.
  

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

• Water Quality effects on hard coral richness
• Water Quality effects on richness of phototrophic octocorals
• Water Quality effects on richness of hetertrophic octocorals
• Global distribution of coral, mangrove and seagrass diversity
  
• Soft coral (octocoral) diversity
  
• e-ATLAS: Octocorals of the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Hard coral diversity on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Coral community changes in the Whitsundays Islands
  
• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Inshore Reef Monitoring: richness of hard coral genera
  
• Hard coral richness in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Soft coral richness in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• e-ATLAS: Patterns in hard coral diversity and cover on inshore reefs of the GBR
  
• e-ATLAS: Hard coral biodiversity surveys of the GBR 
  
• Sea surface temperature
  
• Differential susceptibilities of corals to bleaching
  
• Coral reef bleaching: ecological perspectives (pre-1993)
  
• Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world's coral reefs
  
• 1997-98: Unprecedented thermal stress to coral reefs?
  
• Bleaching events in 1998 and 2002
  
• Doom and boom on a resilient reef: climate change, algal overgrowth and coral recovery
  
• Coral survival following bleaching
  
• e-ATLAS: Coral Bleaching 
  
• e-ATLAS: Sea Surface Temperature (HadISST 1.1) 
  
• Sea level rise
  
• Impact of ocean acidification on corals
  
• e-ATLAS: Coral calcification 
  
• Declining coral calcification on the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Coral mortality, growth and reproduction following bleaching 
  
• The fate of bleached corals: patterns and dynamics of algal recruitment
• Links between mass coral bleaching and coral disease outbreaks
  
• Thermal stress and coral cover as drivers of coral disease
• Hard coral calcification in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Marine tourism impacts on the Great Barrier Reef
• Impacts of tourism and recreational use on the Great Barrier Reef
• Effects on coral from SCUBA divers 
• Effectiveness of no anchoring areas

Existing policies and management actions

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park legislation and regulations
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – Queensland coral fishery
  
• Queensland Policy for the Management of the Coral Fishery
  
• Guidelines on Coral Transplantation
  
• Improving water quality
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (2009)
  
• Regional Water Quality Improvement Plans
  
• Plans of Management
  
• Permits
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
  
• Australian Government policy on climate change
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
  
• High standard tourism operations 
• Ecocertification of Marine Park operators
• Use of tourism permissions in the Marine Park
• 15 year permits 
• Visitation with the top 50 tourism operators versus total visitation
• Tourist visitation to directly managed sites
• Policies and guidelines for managing tourism and recreational use
• Site Management Arrangements   
• Responsible Reef Practices 
• Vessel sewage management  
• Scientific Research Stations
• Major research and information programs
  

Future management requirements

• Biodiversity strategy
• Overarching Great Barrier Reef Tourism Strategy
• Great Barrier Reef Recreation Strategy

Defined research questions

• What are the key factors that lead to coral bleaching and how can these be predicted?
  
• To what extent can coral species acclimate and / or adapt to climate driven stressors?
  
• What is the adaptation potential of corals to the predicted impacts of climate change?

Current Research and Monitoring