Coral Transplantation at Tourism Sites

Purpose: To provide a framework for the management of coral transplantation at tourism sites in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park such that the integrity of coral reefs and associated marine life is maintained.

Coral cover on healthy coral reefs fluctuates over time because of natural and human induced causes, including water quality, fin damage from snorkellers and divers, coral eating fish, algal blooms, coral bleaching, disease, crown of thorns starfish, ship groundings and storms. Consequently, levels of coral cover at a site can vary from year to year on any reef.

It is desirable to encourage site-based tourism operators to maintain a strong, long-term commitment to stewardship of their site. Given the potential for changes in coral cover on reefs, and the fixed nature of site-based tourism operations (for example pontoons and underwater observatories), it may be difficult to provide consistent coral cover for viewing at some locations.

The importance of the condition of tourism sites to the experience of visitors and to the successful presentation of the Marine Park and its World Heritage values is recognised. From time to time there may be a need for shorter than natural periods of coral recovery to support site-based tourism operations. In those instances, managed coral transplantation may be considered a reasonable activity. Such transplantation projects would be small-scale, based on balancing the impacts of transplantation with the impacts of relocating the tourism operation.

For coral transplantation to be considered the original cause of the coral decline at a site must be established. The recovery of coral reefs should be, as far as practical, a natural process. If the coral decline is related to impacts from the applicant or other manageable changes, then those matters need to be managed before coral transplantation is considered.

The Permits Information Sheet - Coral Transplantation at Tourism Sites provides guidelines for applicants applying to undertake limited coral transplantation and demonstrates to all interested parties that allowing such an activity is a very well considered decision. A permit is required from the GBRMPA to undertake coral transplantation and application forms are available on-line.