Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00071:body:0:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00071
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 42598–45647

climate change, cannot always be addressed by park management.
Drivers are phenomena which can influence the state or condition of values and benefits and in some cases may also influence pressures. Drivers can be divided into biophysical, and social and economic categories. Biophysical drivers are mostly of natural origin and are not easily influenced by management actions. Examples include natural variations in climate and weather patterns and ocean currents and tides. Social and economic drivers are usually of human origin. Some management actions can have an influence over a subset of social and economic drivers, such as promoting environmental awareness or compliance with regulations.
Key pressures on Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park are outlined below. Chapter 3 outlines a range of programs and actions that will be taken to address pressures and Chapter 4 outlines how different activities will be managed in the marine park in the context of these pressures. However, the Director also recognises that management actions will need to adjust to changes in pressures and drivers over time to ensure optimal protection of the marine park and its values.

    2.4.1     Climate and environmental change
The impacts of climate change on the marine environment are complex and may include longer lasting marine heatwaves, continued rise in sea level, further ocean acidification, changes to ocean currents, altered storm frequency and intensity and species range extensions or local extinctions. These multifaceted changes have the potential to significantly impact on marine park values. Moreover, climate changes will intricately interact with and amplify many non-climate threats to marine park values.
The marine park values in the southern atoll lagoon in particular are under pressure from sustained and ongoing changes in environmental conditions, partly influenced by anthropogenic climate change, including changes in hydrological and wind regimes that drive circulation, sedimentation and lagoon infilling and subsequently the water quality in the lagoon. Historically, the lagoon has been subject to multiple 'die-off' events, with major effects on fish, invertebrates, corals, lumut (seagrasses) and macroalgae. These events generally coincide with extended periods of warm temperatures and calm, westerly wind conditions, resulting in reduced flushing, elevated water temperatures and reduced dissolved oxygen in the southern lagoon and blue holes areas. When dissolved oxygen levels become critically low, organisms begin to die, which causes further oxygen reduction and mortality. Some die-off events are associated with coral spawning and can occur naturally. However, if the conditions which lead to die-off events become more frequent and severe as a consequence of climate change, it is likely that mass die-off events within the lagoon will increase in their frequency and severity.
Warmer water temperatures and extreme heat events also have potential to bleach coral in Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park, and