scholarly journals Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef Are Understudied and Underexplored

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gal Eyal ◽  
Jack H. Laverick ◽  
Pim Bongaerts ◽  
Oren Levy ◽  
John M. Pandolfi
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems ◽  
Deep Reef ◽  
The World ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are characterized by the presence of photosynthetically active organisms such as corals and algae, and associated communities at depths ranging from 30 to 150 m in tropical and subtropical regions. Due to the increased awareness of the potential importance of these reefs as an integral part of coral reef ecosystems (i.e., deep reef refuge, specialized biodiversity, transition zone between shallow and deep-sea environments, and recreational and intrinsic values), interest from the scientific community has grown around the world over the last two decades. Several nations have already made management declarations and started to extend marine protected areas and fishery management to MCEs. The estimated area of Australian MCEs is likely equivalent to that of shallow reef ecosystems down to 30 m; however, Australian MCEs attract limited research effort compared to other major coral reef regions around the world. In this perspective, we briefly explore the reasons for this scarcity of research on mesophotic ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) of Australia (e.g., strict diving regulations, new researchers’ involvement, and logistics and cost). At present, research efforts on the mesophotic ecosystems of the GBR are in decline and if this trajectory is maintained, the global disparity in knowledge between MCEs near Australia and those from the other main coral reef regions worldwide will sharpen deeply. We call for action from the research community, grant agencies, and decision-makers toward a wider understanding of these important ecosystems in Australia.

Management of Water Quality in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Woodley
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Management Issue ◽  
Reef System ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
World Heritage List ◽  
The World ◽  
Coral Reef System

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.

Great Barrier Reef

2008 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Submerged banks in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, greatly increase available coral reef habitat

2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Harris ◽  
Thomas C.L. Bridge ◽  
Robin J. Beaman ◽  
Jody M. Webster ◽  
Scott L. Nichol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Reef Habitat ◽  
Deep Reef ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Coral Reef Habitat

Abstract Harris, P. T., Bridge, T. C. L., Beaman, R. J., Webster, J. M., Nichol, S. L., and Brooke, B. P. 2013. Submerged banks in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, greatly increase available coral reef habitat. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 284–293. Anthropogenic global ocean warming is predicted to cause bleaching of many near-sea-surface (NSS) coral reefs, placing increased importance on deeper reef habitats to maintain coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the location and spatial extent of many deep reef habitats is poorly known. The question arises: how common are deep reef habitats in comparison with NSS reefs? We used a dataset from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to show that only about 39% of available seabed on submerged banks is capped by NSS coral reefs (16 110 km2); the other 61% of bank area (25 600 km2) is submerged at a mean depth of around 27 m and represents potential deep reef habitat that is spatially distributed along the GBR continental shelf in the same latitudinal distribution as NSS reefs. Out of 25 600 km2 of submerged bank area, predictive habitat modelling indicates that more than half (around 14 000 km2) is suitable habitat for coral communities.

scholarly journals Mesophotic Ecosystems: The Link between Shallow and Deep-Sea Habitats

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 411
Author(s):  
Gal Eyal ◽  
Hudson T. Pinheiro
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
Global Diversity ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽  
Threatened Habitats ◽  
Management And Conservation

Mesophotic ecosystems (MEs) are characterized by the presence of light-dependent organisms, found at depths ranging from ~30 to 150 m in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. These communities occasionally create massive reef structures with diverse but characteristic morphologies, which serve as the framework builders of those ecosystems. In many localities, MEs are physically linked with shallow and deep-sea habitats, and while taxa from both environments share this space, a unique and endemic biodiversity is also found. The main MEs studied to date are the mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) and the temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs), which have received increased attention during the last decade. As shallow coral reef ecosystems are among the most threatened habitats on Earth, the potential of MEs to act as refugia and contribute to the resilience of the whole ecosystem has been a subject of scrutiny. New technologies and methods have become more available to study these deeper parts of the reef ecosystems, yielding many new discoveries. However, basic gaps in knowledge remain in our scientific understanding of the global diversity of MEs, limiting our ability to recognize biogeographic patterns and to make educated decisions for the management and conservation of these ecosystems.

An observational heat budget analysis of a coral reef, Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

2013 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 2547-2559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mellissa C. MacKellar ◽  
Hamish A. McGowan ◽  
Stuart R. Phinn
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Budget Analysis

scholarly journals Deep-Reef Fish Communities of the Great Barrier Reef Shelf-Break: Trophic Structure and Habitat Associations

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Sih ◽  
James Daniell ◽  
Thomas Bridge ◽  
Robin Beaman ◽  
Mike Cappo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Shelf Break ◽  
Benthic Habitat ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Deep Reef ◽  
Macro Algae

The ecology of habitats along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) shelf-break has rarely been investigated. Thus, there is little understanding of how associated fishes interact with deeper environments. We examined relationships between deep-reef fish communities and benthic habitat structure. We sampled 48 sites over a large depth gradient (54–260 m) in the central GBR using Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations and multibeam sonar. Fish community composition differed both among multiple shelf-break reefs and habitats within reefs. Epibenthic cover decreased with depth. Deep epibenthic cover included sponges, corals, and macro-algae, with macro-algae present to 194 m. Structural complexity decreased with depth, with more calcified reef, boulders, and bedrock in shallower depths. Deeper sites were flatter and more homogeneous with softer substratum. Habitats were variable within depth strata and were reflected in different fish assemblages among sites and among locations. Overall, fish trophic groups changed with depth and included generalist and benthic carnivores, piscivores, and planktivores while herbivores were rare below 50 m. While depth influenced where trophic groups occurred, site orientation and habitat morphology determined the composition of trophic groups within depths. Future conservation strategies will need to consider the vulnerability of taxa with narrow distributions and habitat requirements in unique shelf-break environments.

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