Australian Maritime Safety Authority 21.5 Management On-ground delivery Promoting maritime safety and protection of the marine environment, preventing and combating ship-sourced pollution in the marine environment, providing infrastructure to support safety of navigation in Australian waters, and providing a national search and rescue service to the maritime and aviation sectors. Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies 2 Research Integrated research for sustainable use and management of coral reefs. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 30 Management On-ground delivery Management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Services to protect and manage the Reef including permitting, field management, and education. Maritime Safety Queensland 28 Management On-ground delivery Promoting maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment, preventing and combating ship-sourced pollution in the marine environment, and providing infrastructure to support safety of navigation in Queensland waters. National Environmental Research Programme / National Environmental Science Programme 3.5 Research Provision of science through the Tropical Ecosystems Hub of the National Environmental Research Programme on issues of concern for the management, conservation and sustainable use of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and its catchment. Queensland Department of the Environment and Heritage Protection 13 Management On-ground delivery Research Programmes including education and outreach, research, and development of industry-led best management practice programmes, coastal planning and management. Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines 16 Management Monitoring On-ground delivery On-ground water quality, systems repair, hydrological monitoring and reporting.
Appendix 3: Chronology of key management responses to emerging issues, 1970s to present Over the past 40 years, management arrangements have been continually adapted to address the highest risks. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Present Protection and legislation Spatial planning Fisheries and tourism Water quality Cumulative impact, ports and dredging • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established and protected by law • Ban on mining • Australian and Queensland Government management arrangements established • New spatial planning to address tourism growth • Increased integration of science to underpin management decisions • Comprehensive management framework established • Continuous improvement in commercial fisheries (introducing by-catch reduction devices) • Partnership between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the tourism industry commences • Plans of management address rapid growth in tourism • Ban on mining extended to entire Great Barrier Reef Region • Improved management practices to reduce pollutant loads in run-off from agriculture, point sources, including sewage treatment upgrades • Improvements in catchment run-off and cumulative impacts of coastal development on ecosystem function • Focus on climate change and linkages between terrestrial and marine systems • Revised zoning • Comprehensive strategic environmental assessment • Streamlining and reducing duplication across jurisdictions • Banning disposal of material in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from major capital dredging projects • Legislating to restrict significant port development to within existing port limits, with a review in 2022 • Legislating to prohibit the disposal of material from major proposals involving capital dredge from development of new, or
Very good: All elements necessary to maintain the outstanding universal value are essentially intact, and their overall condition is stable or improving. Available evidence indicates only minor, if any, disturbance to this element of outstanding universal value. Good: Some loss or alteration of the elements necessary to maintain the outstanding universal value has occurred, but their overall condition is not causing persistent or substantial effects on this element of outstanding universal value. Poor: Loss or alteration of many elements necessary to maintain outstanding universal value has occurred, which is leading to a significant reduction in this element of the outstanding universal value. Very poor: Loss or alteration of most elements necessary to maintain the outstanding universal value has occurred, causing a major loss of the outstanding universal value. Area (See Chapter 1, Figure 1.1) GBR Great Barrier Reef Region Trends ↑ Improving ↔ Stable ↓ Deteriorating — No clear trend Confidence in condition and trend  Adequate high-quality evidence and high level of consensus ◐ Limited evidence or limited consensus  Very limited evidence, assessment based on anecdotal information a) Natural beauty and phenomena (previously criterion (iii) now criterion (vii)): contains unique, rare or superlative natural phenomena, formations or features or areas of exceptional natural beauty, such as superlative examples of the most important ecosystems to man Area Condition and trend Confidence Excerpt from statement Comment Very good Good Poor Very poor Superlative natural beauty above and below the water The natural beauty of most of the Region remains intact, especially for offshore coral reefs and aerial vistas, as well as for neighbouring islands. The significant loss of coral cover has reduced underwater aesthetic value. GBR ↓  Some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth Both above and below the water, the Region’s scenery remains spectacular. There have been some declines in the aesthetics of inshore reefs in the southern two-thirds. GBR ↓  One of a few living structures The Reef remains visible from space and
visible from space technological advances make these images more accessible. GBR ↔  A complex string of reefal structures along Australia’s north-east coast Reefal structures remain intact. Recent estimates vastly increase the extent of coral with the identification of more deepwater reefs. GBR ↔  Unparalleled aerial panorama of seascapes comprising diverse shapes and sizes Aerial vistas remain spectacular, with scenic flights a popular tourism activity. GBR ↔  Whitsunday Islands provide a magnificent vista of green vegetated islands and white sandy beaches spread over azure waters The majority of the Whitsunday Islands are protected and managed as national parks. There have been some changes to island scenery, such as on resort islands. GBR ↔  Vast mangrove forests in Hinchinbrook Channel, or the rugged vegetated mountains and lush rainforest gullies All of Hinchinbrook Island is protected and managed as a national park. Patches of mangrove forests and rainforest were affected by cyclone Yasi. GBR ↔  On many of the cays there are spectacular and globally important breeding colonies of seabirds and marine turtles There have been serious declines in some populations of seabirds and some marine turtle species. GBR ↓  Raine Island is the world’s largest green turtle breeding area Long-term data indicates that, since the mid-1970s, green turtle nesting on Raine Island has increased and then plateaued over the past two decades. It is thought to have declined recently. GBR ↓  Beneath the ocean surface, there is an abundance and diversity of shapes, sizes and colours... Spectacular coral Since 1986, average hard coral cover is estimated to have declined from 28 to 13.8 per cent, principally in the southern two-thirds of the Region. This is mainly GBR ↓ 
Area Condition and trend Confidence Excerpt from statement Comment Very good Good Poor Very poor Significant diversity of reef and island morphologies reflects ongoing geomorphic, oceanographic and environmental processes There remains a diverse range of reef and island morphologies. Most geomorphic, oceanographic and environmental processes remain in good condition, but some are declining, especially in the inshore southern two-thirds. GBR ↓  Complex cross-shelf, longshore and vertical connectivity is influenced by dynamic oceanic currents Most marine species and habitats are thought to remain well connected. There is increasing evidence of intensified flow and accelerated warming in the East Australian Current. GBR — ◐ Ongoing ecological processes such as upwellings, larval dispersal and migration Ecological processes remain in good condition in northern areas. Some processes are in poor condition inshore in the southern two-thirds of the Region and are deteriorating. GBR ↓ ◐ Ongoing erosion and accretion of coral reefs, sand banks and coral cays combine with similar processes along the coast and around continental islands Reef building is likely to be in good condition for much of the Region, especially in the north, but has been affected by cyclones and reduced coral cover, especially in the southern of the Region. GBR ↓ ◐ Extensive beds of Halimeda algae represent active calcification and accretion over thousands of years Halimeda beds are poorly studied, but are likely to be in very good condition given their isolation from land-based impacts and level of protection from trawling. GBR ↔ ◐ Biologically, the unique diversity The diversity of species remains high, but