Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Research Articles

The 25 year strategic plan for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: A model for strategic planning in the Wadden Sea Area?

It is a great pleasure for me to be able to participate in the 9th International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium here in Nordemey and to speak this evening. I would firstly like to thank the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat and the National Park Administration of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea for inviting me here and for arranging for my involvement in the Symposium. I am also pleased to pass on to the organisers greetings and best wishes from Dr. Ian McPhail, the Chairperson of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Impacts of recreational SCUBA diving at sites with different reef topographies

Increased participation in marine recreation and tourism has been accompanied by concern for the impacts that these activities have on coral reef environments. We investigated how the topography of coral reef dive sites influences the type and amount of damage done by SCUBA divers to living corals. Independent observations were made on 150 qualified SCUBA divers at six dive sites within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia. Two sites each had reef topographies that were characterised by steep slopes (‘Pinnacles’), gently sloping (40°–60°, ‘Shoulders’), or near-horizontal substrata (‘Gardens’). The number of contacts each diver made with the substratum and the number of times corals were broken were recorded and compared across all six sites and among the three topographic categories. The rate at which divers broke corals varied markedly among dive sites, but was not clearly related to reef topography. Divers broke more corals per 10 min interval (1·8±0·77, mean ± 1 SE) at one of the Shoulder sites than at any of the other five locations (0 to 0·28±0·24). Benthic assemblages at this site contained the largest percentage cover of branching corals of all of the sites used in the study (24%±4%, cf. 0%–10% at the other five sites). All of the breakages that we observed were sustained by corals that had a branching morphology. Our results suggest that the topography of coral reef dive sites is not a useful predictor of the amount of damage done by SCUBA divers. More important is the morphological composition of benthic assemblages at the site. Knowledge of biological influences on the sensitivity of different sites to impacts of SCUBA divers will allow managers to match high-risk activities, such as diver training, with suitably durable locations.

The long-term future of the great barrier reef

Long-term participative regional planning is a relatively new and developing field in Australia. To conduct a futures project that seeks to address the serious matters of reef-related food production, jobs, recreation, cultural heritage and the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef with over 60 organizations participating, is not without its challenges. This futures project—the 25-year Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Strategic Plan Development Project—has been described by the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) as having established a world model in participative regional planning for ecologically sustainable use of a natural resource. This article deals with the following questions: Why was the futures project needed? What was done? How was it achieved? What else needs to occur now and in the future? And, so what?

Colalloy armorplate

Coastal freshwater and tidal wetland habitats are being transformed as a result of increasing demand for commercial, residential and tourism activities. The consequence is a habitat seascape complex, comprising a mosaic of natural and engineered coastal features. This study used the freely available mapping tool (Google Earth) to define the extent of coastal engineering structures in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBR; Australia), a marine ecosystem of global biodiversity and cultural significance. Continuing threats to the heritage estate concomitant with expanding urban and industrial developments has raised concerns directed at the future conservation and resilience of the reef ecosystems, along with maintaining expected human lifestyles and livelihoods it provides. The data here shows that break walls and pontoons/jetties dominate development, contributing to approximately 10% (equivalent) of the coastline linear length. Most (60%) development occurs along the coastline or within the first few kilometres upstream along estuaries. While conservation and protection of natural coastal habitats is still preferred for the objective of fisheries production and biodiversity, managers must consider seascape implication/benefits more broadly when approving new marine infrastructure rather than a case-by-case approach which further contributes to an ad hoc mosaic seascape of natural and engineered habitats. Not only within the GBR heritage estate, but more broadly, coastal managers need to regard wider seascape connectivity processes during the assessment of any new development. There is an urgent need for policy and planning instrument reform that is inclusive of accumulative impacts of urban and industrial development in this heritage estate. Opportunities to include eco-friendly (green engineering) solutions, in the repair and revitalisation of existing artificial structures, is necessary in any new proposed urban and industrial development and expansion.