Acid sulphate soils | Exposure and subsequent oxidation of potential acid sulphate soils. |
Altered ocean currents | Altered ocean currents due to climate change or anomalies related to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and altered coastal water movement at a local scale. |
Artificial light | Artificial lighting including from resorts, industrial infrastructure, mainland beaches and coastlines, vessels and ships. |
Atmospheric pollution | Pollution of the atmosphere related to domestic, industrial and business activities in both the Region and adjacent areas. The contribution of gases such as carbon dioxide to climate change is not included as this is encompassed under threats such as sea temperature increase and ocean acidification. |
Artificial barriers to flow | Artificial barriers to riverine and estuarine flow including breakwalls, weirs, dams, gates, ponded pastures, and weeds causing changes to hydrology, groundwater and ecological connectivity. |
Coastal reclamation | Coastal land reclamation, including for ports and groynes. |
Cyclone activity | Cyclone activity. |
Damage to reef structure | Physical damage to reef benthos (reef structure) through actions such as snorkelling, diving, anchoring and fishing, but not vessel grounding. |
Damage to seafloor | Physical damage to non-reef benthos (seafloor) through actions such as trawling and anchoring, but not vessel grounding. |
Disposal and resuspension of dredge material | Sea dumping of dredge material including smothering, loss and modification of seabed habitats and resuspension. |
Dredging | Dredging of the seafloor. |
Exotic species and diseases | Introduction of exotic species and diseases from aquaculture operations, hull fouling, ballast release, imported bait and release of aquarium specimens to the Region, plus the introduction of weeds and feral animals to islands. |
Extraction – discarded catch | Immediate or post-release effects (such as death, injury, reduced reproductive success) on discarded species as a result of interactions with fishing gear. Does not include species of conservation concern. |
Extraction — fishing in spawning aggregations | Retained take (extraction) of fish from unidentified or unprotected spawning aggregations. |
Extraction – herbivores | Retained take (extraction) of herbivores (e.g. some fish, molluscs, dugongs, green turtles) through commercial and non-commercial uses. |
Extraction – incidental catch of species of conservation concern | Immediate or post-release effects (such as death, injury, reduced reproductive success) of interactions of species of conservation concern with fishing gear. |
Extraction — lower order predators | Retained take (extraction) of lower order predators (e.g. coral trout and snapper) through commercial, recreational and traditional fishing. |
Extraction — lower trophic orders | Retained take (extraction) of lower trophic orders (e.g. scallops, sea cucumbers and prawns) through commercial, recreational and traditional fishing. |
Extraction — top order predators | Retained take (extraction) of top order predators (e.g. sharks) through commercial, recreational and traditional fishing and the Queensland Shark Control Program. |
Grounding large vessel | Grounding of large vessels (>50m) including physical damage and the dislodging of antifoulants. |
Grounding small vessel | Grounding of small vessels (<50m) including physical damage and the dislodging of antifoulants. |
Illegal activities — other | Illegal activities such as entering a protected or restricted area, illegal release of industrial discharge, shipping outside of designated shipping areas. |
Illegal fishing and poaching | Illegal fishing, collecting and poaching (foreign or domestic) including of species of conservation concern. |
Incompatible uses | Activities undertaken within the Region that disturb or exclude other users, such as recreational use in areas important for cultural activities. |
Increased freshwater inflow | Increased freshwater inflow from prolonged or heavy rainfall including flood events, and from changes to catchment ecosystems; resulting in reduced salinity. |
Marine debris | Manufactured material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment (including discarded fishing gear and plastics). |
Modifying supporting terrestrial habitats | Clearing or modifying supporting terrestrial habitats such as wetlands, saltmarshes, mangroves and sand dunes — this also includes trampling and damage from recreational vehicle use. |
Noise pollution | Noise from human activities, both below and above water. |
Nutrients from catchment run-off | Nutrients entering the Region in run-off from the catchment. |
Ocean acidification | Increasing acidity of the Region’s waters. |
Outbreak or bloom of other species | Outbreak of naturally occurring or native species, excluding crown-of-thorns starfish. |
Outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish | Outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish (i.e. when the density exceeds about 30 starfish per hectare). |
Outbreak of disease | Outbreak of disease, both naturally occurring and introduced. |
Pesticides from catchment run-off | Pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) entering the Region in run-off from the catchment. |
Rising sea level | Rising sea level. |
Sea temperature increase | Increasing sea temperature. |
Sediments from catchment run-off | Sediments entering the Region in run-off from the catchment. |
Spill — large chemical | Chemical spill that triggers a national or regional response or is more than 10 tonnes. |
Spill — large oil | Oil spill that triggers a national or regional response or is more than 10 tonnes. |
Spill — small chemical and oil | Chemical or oil spill that does not trigger a national or regional response and is less than 10 tonnes |
Urban and industrial discharge | Point and diffuse-source land-based discharge of pollutants from urban and industrial land use and mining, including polluted water, sewage, wastewater and stormwater. |
Vessel strike on wildlife | Death or injury to wildlife as a result of being struck by a vessel of any type or size. |
Waste discharge from a vessel | Waste discharged from a vessel into the marine environment. |
Wildlife disturbance | Disturbance to wildlife including from snorkelling, diving, fish feeding, walking on islands and beaches, and the presence of boats; not including noise pollution. |