Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

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.
• 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:

• 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
• Scientific consensus statement on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Synthesis of evidence to support the 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

• 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
  
• Permit conditions for specific activities
  
• 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

Future management requirements

• 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