Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Twenty-two species of seabird breed on the Great Barrier Reef with serious declines in some populations.
• Recently, seabird numbers have declined seriously at the four most important seabird breeding sites in the Great Barrier Reef, with no evidence that the birds have moved to other breeding sites in the Great Barrier Reef.  One suggested cause of the declines is poor breeding success linked to changes in the distribution of pelagic fish, the main food source for many species.  These fish distributions may be changing because of warmer sea temperatures linked to climate change.
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats.
• 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.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Status of Queensland seabirds
  
• Status of seabirds: evidence from State of the Reef Report
  
• Trends in seabird populations at Raine Island
  
• Birds of Michaelmas Cay
  
• Trends in seabird populations in the Swain Reefs
  
• Capricorn Bunker Group shearwaters and noddies
  
• Vulnerability of seabirds on the Great Barrier Reef to climate change
  
• Impact of climate change on seabirds
  
• Demographic and Reproductive Impacts on Seabirds
• Tourism impacts on seabirds A
• Tourism impacts on seabirds B 
• Loss of coastal wetlands 
• Clearing of wetlands
• Disturbance of shorebird roosting caused by development
  
• Scientific consensus statement on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef 
• Reef exposure to river contaminants ecosystem risk index 
• Catchment influence on the Great Barrier Reef 

Existing policies and management actions

• Seabirds in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
  
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
  
• Guidelines for Managing Visitation to Seabird Breeding Islands
  
• Coastal Bird Monitoring Strategy for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area [860KB]
  
• Threat Abatement Plan for the Incidental Catch (or by-catch) of Seabirds During Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations
  
• Australia is a party to two migratory bird agreements, one with Japan and one with China
  
• Site specific management - Raine Island, Moulter Cay and MacLennan Cay
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002 
• Regional coastal management plans
• Improving water quality
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Regional water quality improvement plans
• Australian Government policy on climate change 
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies 
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
• Queensland's coast: managing its future: a position paper on coastal management in Queensland
• State development areas: Gladstone [1.0MB] 
• State development areas: Townsville [3.73MB] 
• State development areas: Abbot Point  [0.8MB] 
• Proposed development on Curtis Island  [1.77MB] 
  
• Scientific Research Stations
• Major research and information programs
• Research permits

Future management requirements

• Biodiversity strategy
• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan 

Defined research questions

• What are the major threats, including climate change, to declining seabird populations in the far northern and southern Great Barrier Reef?
  
• What is the adaptation potential of highly vulnerable sea birds to the predicted impacts of climate change?

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring