The Limits of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: Defining Bays and Redefining Regulatory Control

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is recognised and appreciated worldwide as a unique environment and for this reason has been inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Reef is economically-important to Queensland and Australia, supporting substantial tourism and fishing industries. Management of the Great Barrier Reef to ensure conservation of its natural qualities in perpetuity is achieved through the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The maintenance of water quality to protect the reef and the industries which depend on it is becoming an increasingly important management issue requiring better knowledge and possibly new standards of treatment and discharge.

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Aerial Surveys of Sea Turtles in the Northern Great Barrier-Reef Marine Park

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9890239 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 239 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

H Marsh ◽

WK Saalfeld

Keyword(s):

Great Barrier Reef ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Seagrass Beds ◽

Barrier Reef ◽

Sea State ◽

Water Turbidity ◽

Density Estimates ◽

Marine Park ◽

Specific Correction

In 1984 and 1985, during surveys designed primarily to census dugongs, six species of sea turtles were counted from the air at an overall sampling intensity of 9% over a total area of 31 288 km2 within the northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The sea turtles were not identified to species. We attempted to correct sightings for perception bias (the proportion of animals visible in the transect which are missed by observers), and to standardise for availability bias (the.proportion of animals that are invisible due to water turbidity) with survey-specific correction factors. The resultant minimum population estimate in November 1985 was (mean � s.e.) 32 187 � 2532 sea turtles at an overall density of 1.03 � 0.08 km-2, a precision of 8%. We consider this to be a gross underestimate of numbers present. Significant differences between population and density estimates obtained from repeat surveys of the same areas were accounted for by differences in Beaufort sea state and cloud cover. The analysis of covariance data suggested that we had not been successful in standardising all biases. Turtles were widely distributed throughout the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from inshore seagrass beds to mid- and outer-shelf reefs. Highest densities were observed on inshore seagrass beds and on mid-shelf reefs, particularly between Murdoch Island and Cape Melville, and in Princess Charlotte Bay. Maps of density and distribution are given. We discuss the value and limitations of this survey regime for censusing sea turtles.

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Lessons Learned from Australia’s Stakeholder Engagement Efforts for MPA Planning

10.31230/osf.io/8nm4e ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

OCTO

Keyword(s):

Great Barrier Reef ◽

Stakeholder Engagement ◽

Planning Process ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Barrier Reef ◽

Marine Park

Jon Day shares key lessons learned from stakeholder engagement efforts during the Representative Areas Program in the Great Barrier Reef, which was a key part of the comprehensive rezoning of the entire Marine Park between 1999 and 2003. As a result of this planning process, the total area of no-take zones increased from less than 5% to over one-third of the Marine Park, highlighting in large part the importance of effectively engaging stakeholders.

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Impact evaluation and conservation outcomes in marine protected areas: A case study of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 238 ◽

pp. 108185 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kerrie A. Fraser ◽

Vanessa M. Adams ◽

Robert L. Pressey ◽

John M. Pandolfi

Keyword(s):

Great Barrier Reef ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Impact Evaluation ◽

Barrier Reef ◽

Marine Park

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Great Barrier Reef

10.1071/9780643098275 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mike Kingsford ◽

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Coral Reef ◽

Great Barrier Reef ◽

Coral Disease ◽

Barrier Reef ◽

Physical Processes ◽

Marine Park ◽

The World ◽

The Common ◽

International Experts

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed. In addition,the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play. Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from 33 international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and environmental manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Winner of a Whitley Certificate of Commendation for 2009.

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