Management Concern: Low    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• The Great Barrier Reef is maintaining strong mangrove biodiversity with local fluctuations, mainly along the developed coast.
• The impacts of dredging and construction of port facilities - such as seabed disturbance, transport or resuspension of contaminants, alteration of sediment movement and changes in coastal processes - can be significant, but are localised.
  

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online:

• Diversity and distribution of mangroves in the Great Barrier Reef  [822KB]
  
• Mangroves enhance the biomass of coral reef fish communities in the Caribbean
  
• Changes to mangroves and salt marshes in several estuaries
• Mangrove distribution and diversity
• Shipping voyages in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• Shipping incidents in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Major shipping incidents in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Great Barrier Reef oil spill risk and equipment 
• The 2006 Gladstone oil spill: environmental impacts 
• Dredging at the Port of Hay Point

Existing policies and management actions

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
  
• Plans of Management
• Environmental impact assessment
  
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002 
• Coastal Ecosystem Management Position Paper
  
• Permits
• Memorandum of Understanding between GBRMPA and Queensland Ports [1.34MB]
  
• Cruise Shipping Policy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [113KB]
  
• Dredging and Spoil Disposal Policy [525KB]
  
• Environmental Impact Management Policy [900KB]

Future management requirements

• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan
  
• Biodiversity strategy
• Planned review of the Dredging and Spoil Disposal Policy

Defined research questions

• What natural and human influences affect the distribution and abundance of mangroves and wetlands?
• What are resilience thresholds for mangrove habitats?

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring