Protection of Coral Reefs and Related Ecosystems for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development – Australian Submission
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7 Day Gbr Itinerary
7 DAY & 7 NIGHT GREAT BARRIER REEF ITINERARY PORT DOUGLAS | GREAT BARRIER REEF | COOKTOWN | LIZARD ISLAND PORT DOUGLAS Port Douglas is a town on the Coral Sea in the tropical far north of Queensland, Australia. Located a scenic 50 minute drive north of Cairns International airport, It's known for its luxury beach resorts and as a base for visits to both the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, and Daintree National Park, home to biodiverse rainforest. In town, Macrossan Street is lined with boutique shops and restaurants. Curving south is popular Four Mile Beach. THE RIBBON REEFS - GREAT BARRIER REEF - Characteristically no wider than 450m, the Ribbon Reefs are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marina Park and are covered in colorful corals that attract a plethora of reef life big and small, with sandy gullies separating them, themselves containing interesting critters. The Ribbons reef host several of Australia’s most spectacular dive sites, as well as arguably the most prolific Black Marlin fishing in the world at certain times of year -with general fishing topping the list also. LIZARD ISLAND Lizard Island hosts Australia’s northernmost island resort. It is located 150 miles north of Cairns and 57 miles north east off the coast from Cooktown. Lizard Island is an absolute tropical paradise, a haven of isolation, gratification and relaxation. Accessible by boat and small aircraft, this tropical haven is a bucket list destination. Prominent dives spots on the Ribbon Reefs are generally quite shallow, with bommies coming up to as high as 5 metres below the surface from a sandy bottom that is between 15-20 metres below the surface. -
What Is Coral Bleaching
Mote Marine Laboratory / Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Coral Bleaching Early Warning Network Current Conditions Report #20180727 Updated July 27, 2018 Summary: Based on climate predictions, current conditions, and field observations, the threat for mass coral bleaching within the FKNMS is currently MODERATE. NOAA Coral Reef Watch Current and 60% Probability Coral Bleaching Alert Outlook July 25, 2018 (experimental) June 30, 2015 (experimental) Figure 2. NOAA’s Experimental 5km Coral Bleaching HotSpot Map for Florida July 25, 2018. coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/vs/gauges/florida_keys.php Figure 1. NOAA’s 5 km Experimental Current and 60% Probability Coral Bleaching Alert Outlook Areas through October, 2018. Updated July 25, 2018. coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/vs/gauges/florida_keys.php Weather and Sea Temperatures According to the newly released NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) experimental 5 kilometer (km) Satellite Current and 60% Probability Coral Bleaching Alert Area, most areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are under a bleaching Warning or Alert Level 1, which means bleaching is likely and potential for more bleaching warnings and alerts if sea Figure 3. NOAA’s Experimental 5km Degree Heating temperatures continue to increase in the next few weeks (Fig. 1). Weeks Map for Florida July 25, 2018. coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/vs/gauges/florida_keys.php Recent remote sensing analysis by NOAA’s CRW program indicates that most of the Florida Keys region is currently experiencing thermal stress. NOAA’s 35 new experimental 5 km Coral Bleaching HotSpot Map (Fig. 2), which 30 illustrates current sea surface temperatures compared to the average temperature for the warmest month, shows elevated temperatures for the 25 Florida Keys. -
Coral Reef Education and Australian High School Students
CORAL REEF EDUCATION AND AUSTRALIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS by Carl M. Stepath, MEd PhD Candidate: School of Education, and School of Tropical Environment Studies & Geography; James Cook University, Cairns, Qld 4878, Australia, [email protected] In proceedings of the Marine Education Society of Australasia 2004 Conference, Noosa, Queensland, October 2-3, 2004. Keywords: tropical marine education, environmental and marine experiential education, environmental awareness and attitudes, ecological agency, coral reef education Abstract: This paper reports on a PhD research project investigating marine education in coral reef environments along the Queensland coast. The study explored relationships between awareness, attitudes and ecological skills of high school students who were trained in coral reef ecology and monitoring in offshore sites along the Great Barrier Reef in 2002 and 2003. The research investigated the question of whether experiential marine education can change the reported environmental knowledge, attitudes and ecological agency of student participants. Some key data outcomes are presented and implications for effective marine education strategies discussed. Introduction Educational programs that focus on humans and their relationship to coral reefs are becoming necessary, as reef structures along the Queensland coast come under mounting ecological pressure (GBRMPA, 2003; Hughes et al., 2003; Talbot, 1995). Marine education has been defined by Roseanne Fortner (1991) as that part of the total educational process that enables people to develop sensitivity to and a general understanding of the role of the seas in human affairs and the impact of society on the marine and aquatic environments. Improving pedagogical techniques concerning aquatic environments is valuable since continuing intensification of human activity near coastline areas adversely affects marine and coastal ecosystems worldwide (NOAA, 1998). -
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Technical Memorandun Gbrmpa - Tm-5
GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AUTHORITY TECHNICAL MEMORANDUN GBRMPA - TM-5 REPORT OF SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION MEETING ON THE PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHYOF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF REGION Held at the University of New South Wales 5-6 July 1982 with support from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Academy of Science i. _. JASON H. MIDDLETON SUMMARY A scientific discussion meeting was held in July 1982 to generate a statement concerning the physical oceanography of the Great Barrier Reef region. The statement was to be framed by answering the questions below: .. (a) What is the present state of knowledge? (b) What appear to be the most important unanswered questions? (c) With regard to (a) and (b), what methods would be‘mogt effective in answering the questions posed in (b)? (d) What routine monitoring measurements would appear to be of most scientific value in increasing our knowledge of the region? This report summarises the discussions of the meeting. Technical Memoranda are of a preliminary nature, representing the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Postal Address: The Chairman, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, P.O. Box 1379, TOWNSVILLE. QLD. 4810 -l- 1. SUMMARYOF IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS The meeting identified a number of important scientific questions. These were of two types: (i) What is the description of certain events? and (ii) Which model is needed to predict these events. Considering events in decreasing time scale, the following . I statements summarize the important questions addressed in the body of the report. -
Cairns Outer Great Barrier Reef
CAIRNS OUTER GREAT BARRIER REEF Cairns fastest, most spacious and luxurious vessel From $165 + $20 LEVY Full Day Reef Cruise Unlimited Snorkelling and up to three Certified Dives! Adventure awaits on board the fastest, award-winning Adult Child Family $ $ $ luxury vessel EVOLUTION, the best value tour to the 185 95 485 Outer Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. TOUR INCLUDES *INCLUDES $20 LEVY PAYABLE ON BOARD TWO OUTER REEF SITES FASTEST REEF VESSEL SNORKEL HIRE HOT BBQ CHEESE & FRUIT PLATTER, WINE FIVE HOURS REEF TIME BUFFET LUNCH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCED DIVE MODERN AIR SPACIOUS SUN DECKS INSTRUCTORS CONDITIONED BOAT FOR SUNBATHING DEPARTS CAIRNS REEF FLEET TERMINAL DAILY RETURN TRANSFERS DAILY FROM CAIRNS CBD ($17) CHECK IN 7:15am DEPARTS 8:15am RETURNS 4:30pm. AND NORTHERN BEACHES ($24). CAPE TRIBULATION Agincourt Reef C o nti n e Two Outerntal Reef Sites Undine Reef S St Crispin Reef h e Locations selected for lfclarity of water Opal Reef Rudder Reef & abundance of Marine Life Tongue Reef PORT DOUGLAS Norman Reef Saxon Reef Batt Reef Hastings Reef Pixie Reef Breaking Patches Michaelmas Cay Oyster Reef Vlasoff Cay Upolo Cay Double PALM COVE Island Green Island Arlington Reef KURANDA Moore Reef Skyrail Kuranda Scenic Rail CAIRNS Fitzroy Island MAP NOT TO SCALE Extras Prebooked Only Only $50 $10 $25 INTRO & CERTIFIED DIVES SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE TOURS MARINE BIOLOGY TOURS Scuba Dive without any previous experience, or Enjoy the spectacular coral formations without Learn the secrets of the reef from our Marine use your Scuba Certification to explore the Great getting wet on our semi submersible tour with Biologist and then explore the coral gardens Barrier Reef. -
Highly Variable Taxa-Specific Coral Bleaching Responses to Thermal
Vol. 648: 135–151, 2020 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published August 27 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13402 Mar Ecol Prog Ser OPEN ACCESS Highly variable taxa-specific coral bleaching responses to thermal stresses Timothy R. McClanahan1,*, Emily S. Darling1,2, Joseph M. Maina3, Nyawira A. Muthiga1, Stephanie D’agata1,3, Julien Leblond1, Rohan Arthur4,5, Stacy D. Jupiter1,6, Shaun K. Wilson7,8, Sangeeta Mangubhai1,6, Ali M. Ussi9, Mireille M. M. Guillaume10,11, Austin T. Humphries12,13, Vardhan Patankar14,15, George Shedrawi16,17, Julius Pagu18, Gabriel Grimsditch19 1Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Program, Bronx, NY 10460, USA 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada 3Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia 4Nature Conservation Foundation, Amritha 1311, 12th Main, Vijaynagar 1st Stage Mysore 570017, India 5Center for Advanced Studies (CEAB), C. d’Acces Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain 6Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, 11 Ma’afu Street, Suva, Fiji 7Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA 6101, Australia 8Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia 9Department of Natural Sciences, The State University of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Tanzania 10Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Aviv, Laboratoire BOREA MNHN-SU-UCN-UA-CNRS-IRD EcoFunc, 75005 Paris, France 11Laboratoire d’Excellence -
PRESS RELEASE –Embargoed Until February 13, 2020 Cancun, Mexico * Belize City, Belize * Guatemala City, Guatemala * Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Melanie McField Director-Healthy Reefs Initiative /Smithsonian Institution Cell: (754) 610 9311, [email protected], Skype: melaniemcfield -------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE –embargoed until February 13, 2020 Cancun, Mexico * Belize City, Belize * Guatemala City, Guatemala * Tegucigalpa, Honduras CARIBBEAN’S LARGEST BARRIER CORAL REEF SYSTEM FACES NEW THREATS, BUT ALSO TESTS NEW SOLUTIONS (Mesoamerican Reef – February 13th, 2020) -- The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative (HRI) today released its 2020 Mesoamerican Reef Health Report Card. For the first time in 12 years of tracking the health of the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, the overall condition of this vital ecosystem has deteriorated. The Reef Health Index (RHI), which synthesizes ecological data into a “Dow Jones” style index, decreased from 2.8 in 2016 to 2.5 in 2018. Despite the recent decline, reef health still shows improvement compared to 2006 when the HRI monitoring efforts began. A similar report released last summer for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef also marked a dramatic reduction in reef condition, signaling a worrisome outlook for two of the world’s most important reef systems in different hemispheres of the globe. ”Over the past decade we have documented a slow but positive recovery of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System,” according to Dr. Melanie McField, Director of the Healthy Reefs Initiative and marine scientist with the Smithsonian Institution, “but this recent decline highlights the need to step up local actions to improve water quality and increase fish populations and accelerate international commitments to reduce carbon emissions in order to halt climate change impacts on reefs.” The report is based on a new study of 286 coral reef sites along 1000 km of the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. -
CORAL Bleaching
CORAL BLEACHing The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch Program reports that the third global coral bleaching event is underway. It started in 2014 and is expected to last through 2016. Coral reefs have experienced bleaching and mortality in several parts of the world, including Hawaii, American Samoa and Florida. The last global coral bleaching event occurred in 1997-98, when 15-20 percent of the world's coral reefs were functionally lost. Due to coral's slow growth, recovery takes significant time. About Coral Bleaching Coral bleaching is a stress reaction of the coral animals that happens when they expel their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, which is their main food and energy source. FAST FACTS Bleached corals are living but are less likely to reproduce and are more susceptible to disease, predation and mortality. If stressful conditions subside soon enough, the The Florida Reef Tract: corals can survive the bleaching event; however, if stresses are severe or persist, bleaching can lead to coral death. • Spans 358 miles • Contributes $6.3 billion Causes of Coral Bleaching to local economy Large-scale coral bleaching events are driven by extreme sea temperatures and are intensified by sunlight stress associated with calm, clear conditions. The • Provides 71,000 jobs in highest water temperatures usually occur between August and October. Corals the Southeast Florida become stressed when sea surface temperature is 1o C greater than the highest region monthly average. Coral bleaching risk increases if the temperature stays elevated for an extended time. • Supports more than 6,000 marine species While records show that coral bleaching • Home to more than events have been occurring for many 40 species of stony coral, years throughout Southeast Florida, NOAA including seven listed as indicates that bleaching events have steadily increased in frequency "Threatened" under the and severity during the last few decades. -
Spearfishing in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
· Great • Reef Marine Park Authoiity LAw Bu • Issue Number 18 SPEARFISHING IN GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK Where am I allowed to spearfish? Seasonal Closure Areas You may spearfish in all gerieral use zones in the Seasonal Closure Areas are areas closed to all access Marine Park, and in all non-zoned sections of the during the breeding or nesting periods of birds or Marine Park. You should note that some Queensland other marine life. The closure of these areas is waters are closed to spearfishing - there are details advertised. of those areas in the Queensland Harbours ahd What equipment can I use? Marine Tide Tables. You may only spearfish using a snorkel and a hand Where am I NOT allowed to spearfish? spear or speargun. You may not use any other You may not spearfish in Marine National Park 'A', underwater breathing equipment (such as scuba or Marine National Park Buffer and Marine National hookah) and you may only use a powerhead for Park 'B' Zones, nor in Scientific Research or protection against a shark attack. Preservation Zones. You also may not spearfish in areas where periodic restrictions are in operation. Can I sell fish I spear? These areas may be Replenishment Areas, Reef Spearfishing for the purpose of sale or trade is not Appreciation Areas, Reef Research Areas or Seasonal allowed in the Marine Park, with one exception, in Closure Areas. the Far Northern Section of the Marine Park it is permitted to spear crayfish for purposes of sale or Replenishment Areas trade (you can also use scuba or hookah in this A Replenishment Area is an area closed for a circumstance - but only for crayfish). -
Anomalies in Coral Reef Community Metabolism and Their Potential Importance in the Reef CO2 Source-Sink Debate
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 95, pp. 6566–6569, May 1998 Population Biology Anomalies in coral reef community metabolism and their potential importance in the reef CO2 source-sink debate JOHN R. M. CHISHOLM* AND DAVID J. BARNES Australian Institute of Marine Science, Private Mail Bag No. 3, Mail Centre, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia Communicated by Andrew A. Benson, University of California, San Diego, CA, March 20, 1998 (received for review September 23, 1997) ABSTRACT It is not certain whether coral reefs are ratio of photosynthesis to respiration on unperturbed reefs sources of or sinks for atmospheric CO2. Air–sea exchange of over 24 h is considered to be close to unity (10). CO2 over reefs has been measured directly and inferred from In March 1996, we made an expedition to Lizard Island, changes in the seawater carbonate equilibrium. Such mea- northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Fig. 1), to measure surements have provided conflicting results. We provide changes in the O2 concentration and pH of seawater flowing community metabolic data that indicate that large changes in across a 300-m section of the reef flat by using a floating CO2 concentration can occur in coral reef waters via biogeo- instrument package (11–14). Measurements were made in chemical processes not directly associated with photosynthe- March when tides permitted the instrument package to float sis, respiration, calcification, and CaCO3 dissolution. These freely over the reef flat, a short distance above the benthos. processes can significantly distort estimates of reef calcifica- On arriving at Lizard Island, we encountered environmental tion and net productivity and obscure the contribution of coral conditions that we had not anticipated. -
The Economic, Social and Icon Value of the Great Barrier Reef Acknowledgement
At what price? The economic, social and icon value of the Great Barrier Reef Acknowledgement Deloitte Access Economics acknowledges and thanks the Great Barrier Reef Foundation for commissioning the report with support from the National Australia Bank and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. In particular, we would like to thank the report’s Steering Committee for their guidance: Andrew Fyffe Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg Finance Officer Director of the Global Change Institute Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Professor of Marine Science The University of Queensland Anna Marsden Managing Director Prof. Robert Costanza Great Barrier Reef Foundation Professor and Chair in Public Policy Australian National University James Bentley Manager Natural Value, Corporate Responsibility Dr Russell Reichelt National Australia Bank Limited Chairman and Chief Executive Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Keith Tuffley Director Stephen Fitzgerald Great Barrier Reef Foundation Director Great Barrier Reef Foundation Dr Margaret Gooch Manager, Social and Economic Sciences Stephen Roberts Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Director Great Barrier Reef Foundation Thank you to Associate Professor Henrietta Marrie from the Office of Indigenous Engagement at CQUniversity Cairns for her significant contribution and assistance in articulating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander value of the Great Barrier Reef. Thank you to Ipsos Public Affairs Australia for their assistance in conducting the primary research for this study. We would also like -
Chapter 3—Relative Risks to the Great Barrier Reef from Degraded Water Quality
Scientific Consensus Statement 2013 – Chapter 3 ©The State of Queensland 2013. Published by the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, July 2013. Copyright protects this publication. Excerpts may be reproduced with acknowledgement to the State of Queensland. Image credits: TropWATER James Cook University, Tourism Queensland. This document was prepared by an independent panel of scientists with expertise in Great Barrier Reef water quality. This document does not represent government policy. 2 Relative risks to the Great Barrier Reef from degraded water quality Scientific Consensus Statement 2013 – Chapter 3 Table of Contents Executive summary .......................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Synthesis process ............................................................................................................................. 7 Previous Consensus Statement findings ........................................................................................ 19 Current evidence on the relative risks of water quality pollutants to the Great Barrier Reef ...... 21 What is the current relative risk of priority pollutants to Great Barrier Reef marine systems? .............. 21 Where are the risks highest or the benefits of improved management greatest? .................................. 26 When are the risks