Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Low

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Two inshore dolphin species are known to be at risk.
• The endemic Australian snubfin dolphin and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are at risk, especially from interactions with large mesh nets and increasing human use of their inshore habitat.
  
• There is limited information for any other dolphin species in the Great Barrier Reef.
• 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:

• Spatial distribution of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins
  
• Population sizes, site fidelity and residence patterns of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins in the Cleveland Bay area, Townsville
  
• Australian humpback dolphin genetics
  
• Australian snubfin dolphin genetics 
• Taxoplasmosis in Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins
• Impact of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals
• Development intensification and water quality pressures on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
• Population and urban growth in the GBR catchment
• Population centres in Queensland and Great Barrier Reef catchment 
• Population projections 
  
• Clearing of wetlands

Existing policies and management actions

• Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [450KB]
  
• Protected Species in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
  
• Queensland’s Nature Conservation (Whale and Dolphin) Conservation Plan 1997
  
• Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans
  
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002 
• GBRMPA involvement in coastal development planning and assessment
• Reef Guardian Councils
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
  
• State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971
  
• Department of Infrastructure and Planning
  
• Regional coastal management plans 

Future management requirements

• Review of Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• 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