The downscaling of ocean acidification projections from global to gbr scales requires the set of regional drivers controlling. Summary of the climate change trends for 2050 underlying four climate change adaptation scenarios for the great barrier reef. There are a lot of animals living on the great barrier reefand theyve all got their own job to do. Marshall, great barrier reef marine park authority and australian greenhouse office, townsville, pp. Climate change has accelerated this rate of change, coinciding with mounting pressure from human uses. This is chapter 1 of climate change and the great barrier reef. The iracc merges a traditional climate change vulnerability framework with approaches from. Aug 12, 2014 climate change is the most serious threat to the great barrier reef, according to a major new report. Vulnerability of seagrasses in the great barrier reef to climate change waycott, michelle, collier, catherine, mcmahon, kathryn, ralph, peter, mckenzie, len, udy, james, and grech, alana 2007 vulnerability of seagrasses in the great barrier reef to climate change. Two of the greatest challenges brought by climate changean increase in ocean temperatures and acidity levelsare creating severe knockon effects, jeopardising the reef s survival.
Pdf vulnerability of coral reefs of the great barrier reef. Request pdf on jan 1, 2007, paul a marshall johanna johnson and others published climate change and the great barrier reef. Great barrier reef marine park authority and the australian. Climate change poses a serious risk to this system. Predicting the vulnerability of reefs to climate change data collected from the reef life survey has allowed researchers from ocean and earth science at the university of southampton to measure the. Additional expert input to this assessment was provided by tony courtney. Its size and brilliance make is observable even from space.
Extract the great barrier reef is one of the truly majestic places on our planet. Marshall, great barrier reef marine park authority. Global climate change is a virtual sword of damocles hanging over the very heart of the great barrier reef. An integrated risk assessment for climate change iracc is developed and applied to assess the vulnerability of sharks and rays on australias great barrier reef gbr to climate change. The potential for management to reduce vulnerability, measured here as the mean number of years coral cover can be kept above 30%, is spatially variable. Isbn 978 1 921682 44 5 pdf research publication great barrier reef marine park authority. According to the commonwealths great barrier reef climate change action plan 20072012, the fate of coral reefs will ultimately depend on the rate and extent of climate change. Projections are based on the gbrmpa vulnerability assessment 2007 and are within the ranges outlined in the queensland climate change centre of excellence regional. The vulnerability of sea snakes within the great barrier reef to climate change has been assessed by hamann et al. Consequently, our discussion focuses on how managers, donors, and other policy makers can consider policy actions at different spatial and temporal scales to reduce different aspects of the vulnerability of coastal communities to key impacts of temperature induced climate change on reef fisheries. Climate change is the most serious threat to the great barrier reef, according to a major new report. Johnson je and marshall pa 2007 climate change and the great barrier reef. Fabricius and others published vulnerability of coral reefs of the great barrier reef to climate change find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. It provides habitat for nearly 9,000 species of marine lifeand thats just the relatively easy to count ones.
Limits to climate change adaptation in the great barrier reef. Abstract australias great barrier reef gbr is under pressure from a suite of stressors including cyclones, crown. The vulnerability of australias biodiversity to climate change overview pdf 269. Vulnerability of geomorphological features in the great barrier reef to climate change smithers, scott g. Management strategies that alleviate cumulative impacts have the potential to reduce the vulnerability of some midshelf reefs in the central gbr by 83%, but only if combined with strong. These temperatures have caused the most severe and widespread coral bleaching ever recorded in the great barrier reef. Vulnerability assessments can also be used as a reactive tool when a great barrier reef stakeholder group raises significant concerns about an element of biodiversity and there is a need to document these concerns using a standardised and transparent process. Graveyard of staghorn coral, yonge reef, northern great barrier reef, october 2016 by greg torda arc centre of excellence for coral reef studies cc bynd 2. Tropical cyclones are likely to be more intense, resulting in physical destruction and weakening of the reef structure.
Vulnerability of the great barrier reef to climate change and local pressures. The 27year decline of coral cover on the great barrier reef and its causes. Vulnerability of the great barrier reef to climate change. Vulnerability of geomorphological features in the great. The great barrier reef is the largest living structure on earth.
Great barrier reef marine park authority and the australian greenhouse office, australia. Vulnerability of seagrasses in the great barrier reef to. Vulnerability of the great barrier reef to climate change and. Warmer ocean currents are also likely to remain a threat to the queensland coral ecosystem for. The great barrier reef climate change action plan establishes a program of practical actions that will complement these internationally lauded measures and build the longterm resilience of the great barrier reef to climate change. Mccook lj, folke c, hughes tp, nystrom m, obura d, salm r 2007 ecological resilience, climate change and the great barrier reef. Vulnerability of the great barrier reef to climate change and local. The iracc merges a traditional climate change vulnerability framework with approaches from fisheries ecological risk assessments. Jan 26, 2016 the great barrier reef marine park authority has proactively initiated a variety of forwardthinking projects including a vulnerability assessment and a multiyear action plan to address climate. Lough published 2007 geography this is chapter 2 of climate change and the great barrier reef. Climate change vulnerability assessment electronic resource. Gbrmpa vulnerability assessments great barrier reef. Lesley hughes, annika dean, will steffen and martin rice.
Toward this end, this chapter introduces the great barrier reef and the human systems that interact with it, providing a context for the detailed chapters that follow. Lovelock, ce and ellison, jc 2007, vulnerability of mangroves and tidal wetlands of the great barrier reef to climate change, in j. An assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change in south east queensland, australia marcello sano, griffith centre for coastal management and griffith climate change response programme, griffith university, australia m. A vulnerability assessment, great barrier reef marine park authority and australian greenhouse office, australia, australia, pp. A vulnerability assessment find, read and cite all the research you. Climate change poses the greatest threat to the great barrier reef and coral reefs globally. Vulnerability of coastal communities to key impacts of. History reveals that reefs have been faced with changes in the past, including fluctuations in water temperature, sea level and acidification.
The most severe bleaching in 2016 occurred near port douglas. Australias biodiversity and climate change a strategic. Safeguarding coastal coral communities on the central great. Climate change vulnerability assessment great barrier reef. The great barrier reef gbr is widely recognised for its outstanding ecological, economic, social and cultural values great barrier reef marine park authority, 2009. In late november 2016 surveys of 62 reefs showed that long term heat stress from climate change caused a. Heritage convention to protect the great barrier reef from the impacts of climate change. Hamann, mark, limpus, colin j, and read, mark a 2007 vulnerability of marine reptiles to climate change in the great barrier reef. Climatechangeandthegreatbarrierreefavulnerabilityassessment. Climate change, fire and the little penguin pdf 305. As we proceed down the inevitable path of climate change, the idea of change will and has become fundamental to understanding our environment and its role in shaping our ecosystems.
Vulnerability of macroalgae of the great barrier reef to. Oct 27, 2014 the australian governments multimillion dollar plan to halt the worrying decline of the great barrier reef does nothing to address the leading threat of climate change and is likely to prove. Climate change great barrier reef foundation great. Vulnerability assessment finds that australias unique biodiversity is highly vulnerable to climate change.
The australian governments multimillion dollar plan to halt the worrying decline of the great barrier reef does nothing to address the leading threat of climate change and is likely to prove. Climate change adaptation in the great barrier reef iconic national. A vulnerability assessment 2007 identified as having highmoderate degree of concern to management and lowmoderate adequacy of information in scientific information needs for the management of the great barrier reef marine park 20092014. The book climate change and the great barrier reef. The great barrier reef gbr is founded on reefbuilding corals. These values depend on an intact, healthy and resilient ecosystem.
The great barrier reef and climate change department of the. Great barrier reef marine park authority townsville. An assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change in. Effective management of coral reefs has become an important focus for coastal communities, and a range of strategies are available to help protect reef biodiversity and facilitate sustainable use. Johnson je, marshall pa eds climate change and the great barrier reef. Climate change is predicted to affect tropical marine systems in the following ways. The exposure of the great barrier reef to ocean acidification. Great barrier reef marine park authority and the australian greenhouse office townsville. Great barrier reefs greatest threat is climate change, says.
Assessment great barrier reef vulnerability criterion findings exposure increased sea, land and air temperatures increase number and severity of storms changes to spread of pests sensitivity very high adaptive capacity very low adverse implications loss of reef loss of tourism potential benefit best management is to reduce stresses. Predicting the vulnerability of reefs to climate change. Great barrier reef marine park authority and the australian greenhouse office, department of the environment and water resources. Chapter 7 vulnerability of macroalgae of the gbr to climate change 4 table 7. Graveyard of staghorn coral, yonge reef, northern great barrier reef, october 2016 by greg torda arc centre. The great barrier reef marine park authority townsville. Vulnerability of mangroves and tidal wetlands of the great. Warmer sea surface temperatures will increase the risk of heat stress events and mass coral bleaching. The great barrier reef marine park authority has proactively initiated a variety of forwardthinking projects including a vulnerability assessment and a multiyear action plan to address climate. Pdf vulnerability of reefbuilding corals on the great.
Climate change is the greatest threat to the great barrier reef. Two of the greatest challenges brought by climate changean increase in ocean temperatures and acidity levelsare creating severe knockon effects, jeopardising the reefs survival. Coral reefs are one of the most remarkable and biologically diverse elements of earths natural heritage, supporting more species per square meter than any other marine environment. Climate change, the great barrier reef and the response of. Queensland marine aquarium supply industry, 2010 ryan donnelly. Vulnerability of coral reefs of the great barrier reef to climate change. These threats are certainly not unique to the great barrier reef. Proceedings of the national academy of science of the united states of. Climate change is not included in the actual gbr zoning plan, however in 2007, the gbr marine park authority gbrmpa conducted an extensive climate change vulnerability assessment of species, species groups and habitats of. Vulnerability of reef building corals on the great barrier reef to climate change. Vulnerability of marine reptiles to climate change in the. Algal categories functional groups examples of common genera in the gbr algal turfs reef. As climate change is driven by global greenhouse gas emissions this issue must be addressed. This section introduces some key strategies for coral reef managers to address local stressors and build resilience of coral reefs in the face of.
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