Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Changes in seagrass communities appear to be mainly due to natural cycles of decline and recovery although influenced by run-off from catchments.
• Approximately 6000km² of seagrass meadows occur along the Queensland coast, both in shallow inshore areas and deeper water. An unknown, but larger area probably occurs in the deeper, offshore water of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.
• Seagrass habitat has been lost through land reclamation. Seagrass meadows are sensitive to sediments from flood events. They are also sensitive to nutrient inputs.
• 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:

• Trends in seagrass distribution in the Great Barrier Reef
• Global distribution of coral, mangrove and seagrass diversity 
• Diversity and distribution of shallow seagrass beds in the Great Barrier Reef
• Responses of seagrass to nutrients in the Great Barrier Reef 
• Composition and distribution of flood plumes in the Great Barrier Reef
• Resilience of seagrass beds 
• Development intensification and water quality pressures on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
• Marine Monitoring Program - seagrass
• 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

• Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Regional water quality improvement plans
• 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 
• Seagrass Watch 
• Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Management of water quality
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Plans of Management

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