Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Beaches are an important part of the coastal zone, especially as nesting grounds for seabirds and marine turtles. They also have an important recreational role for visitors to the Great Barrier Reef.
  
• Beaches are highly dynamic habitats with natural cycles of erosion and accretion driven by winds, tides, waves and storms.  They are therefore sensitive to any changes in coastal water movement, including climate change impacts such as increased sea level and weather variability.
  
• In some areas, changes in coastal dynamics (for example through the installation of groins and seawalls) and reclaiming of marine areas have altered the beach habitats of the Great Barrier Reef.
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Beaches and tidal flats
  
• Coastal erosion
  
• Coastal processes
  
• Sea level rise
  
• Impact of beach lighting on flatback turtle nesting
• Impacts of artificial lighting on sea turtle survival
• Impact of development on nesting beaches at Mackay
• Disturbance of shorebird roosting caused by development
  
• Development intensification and water quality pressures on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems

Existing policies and management actions

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Environmental Impact Assessment
  
• Plans of Management 
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002
  
• Coastal Ecosystem Management Position Paper
• GBRMPA involvement in coastal development planning and assessment
• Reef Guardian Councils
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
  
• State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971
  
• Department of Infrastructure and Planning
  
• Regional coastal management plans 

Future management requirements

• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan
  
• Biodiversity strategy

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.

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring