Management Concern: High    

Adequacy of Information: Good

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Five of the six species of marine turtle on the Great Barrier Reef have declined; the loggerhead, flatback and green turtle nesting populations appear to have stabilised or are now increasing.
• Current cumulative pressures on marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef include incidental capture in some fishing gear, boat strike, ingestion and entanglement in marine debris, illegal hunting, unsustainable traditional hunting, coastal development impacting nesting beaches and hatching success, and disease. Future loss of habitat for nesting sites from predicted sea level rise poses an extreme risk to nesting species.
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats. Altered lighting along nesting beaches as a result of coastal development is also affecting hatchlings' ability to find the sea.
  
• The litter transported to the ocean by urban runoff may be ingested by wildlife such as marine turtles or cause entanglement. Debris on beaches can interfere with a marine turtle's ability to dig an egg chamber or may prevent hatchlings from reaching the sea.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Marine wildlife and mortality stranding database annual report 2003: marine turtles (published in 2008)  [1.5 MB] 
  
• Population modelling of green turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef region
  
• Population status of green turtles in the Northern Great Barrier Reef stock - Raine Island report 2003
  
• Population declines for green turtles nesting in the northern Great Barrier Reef
  
• Population of flatback turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Population decline of hawksbill turtles within the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Recovery of loggerhead turtles in Queensland
  
• Biological review of Australian marine turtle species. 1. Loggerhead turtle
  
• The use of internesting habitat off Mon Repos by Loggerhead turtles
  
• Leatherback turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef region 
  
• Gazettal of Woongara Marine Park 1991
  
• Management arrangements for Raine Island restrict access to the island and surrounding waters
  
• Population status of Green turtles in the southern Great Barrier Reef stock
• Flatback turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Status of Hawksbill turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Population status of Loggerhead turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Recovery of Green turtles in the Great Barrier Reef region
• Population status of Green turtles in the southern Great Barrier Reef stock
• Incorporating turtle habitats into Marine Protected Area design for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 
• Impacts of marine debris, fishing lines and hooks on marine turtles
• Population and urban growth in the GBR catchment
• Population centres in Queensland and Great Barrier Reef catchment 
• Population projections 
  
• Effects of pollution on marine turtles: a Greenpeace ecotoxicology project
• Impact of beach lighting on flatback turtle nesting
• Impacts of artificial lighting on sea turtle survival
• Impact of development on nesting beaches at Mackay

Existing policies and management actions

• Site specific management - Raine Island, Moulter Cay and MacLennan Cay
• Conservation status of marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
  
• Marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
  
• Management of fox predation on turtle nests
  
• Permit conditions for specific activities
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Environmental Impact Management Policy [900KB]
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002 
• 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 
• Coastal ecosystem protection

Future management requirements

• Biodiversity strategy
• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan 

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