Here you can get quick access to various reports on coral reefs status, health and threats on global, regional and national levels. Select geographic area of interest or search by source/organization.
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Search Result: 5 records
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1.
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Sweatman, H., A.Cheal, G.Coleman, S.Delean, B.Fitzpatrick, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, C.Page and A.Thompson.,
2001
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 5, 2001.
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), in conjunction with the CRC: Reef Research Centre
and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
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Author
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Sweatman, H., A.Cheal, G.Coleman, S.Delean, B.Fitzpatrick, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, C.Page and A.Thompson.
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Year
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2001
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Title
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 5, 2001.
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Source
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Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), in conjunction with the CRC: Reef Research Centre
and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
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Keywords
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monitoring; status
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Caption
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Fifth report in a series on monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef.
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Abstract
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The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has immense aesthetic value and great economic importance, supporting tourism and fisheries worth more than $1 billion annually to the Australian economy. Inscription on the World Heritage List recognises the area’s global significance and entails regular reporting on its status. Information on natural variability of populations is essential for informed management. The AIMS Long-term Monitoring Program is designed to provide information on population trends in key groups of organisms (particularly crown-of-thorns starfish, corals, algae, and reef fishes) on appropriate spatial scales over the length and breadth of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). The results contained within this report are intended as a primary source of strategic information for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the Commonwealth Government lead agency for matters concerning the care and development of the GBRWHA.
Broadscale manta tow surveys have now been carried out in 11 latitudinal sectors spanning the length of the GBR for a period of 15 years (1985-2000) and have played a significant role in our increased understanding of the crown-of-thorns-starfish (COTS) phenomenon. The perimeters of 98 reefs were surveyed using manta tows in 2000.
Intensive surveys on reefs in six sectors began in the 1993 field season. Coral and fish are surveyed annually on fixed sites within one habitat on each survey reef. Sites on 48 reefs were surveyed in 2000.
This report presents a synthesis of monitoring data collected over the last six years and includes unreported data from the 2000 field season.
Major results are:
Crown-of-thorns starfish
The percentage of reefs on the GBR with outbreaks of COTS was equal to the highest levels since surveys began but had not changed since the 1999 surveys. Active or Incipient Outbreaks were observed on 17% of the 98 reefs surveyed in 2000. This compares with 17% in 1999 and 15% in 1998. The highest percentage of reefs with Active Outbreaks recorded prior to 1999 in the 15 years of surveys was 17% in 1987.
A similar pattern is seen in the overall density of COTS on the GBR. The overall mean number of COTS per tow recorded in 2000 was 0.96. This has increased greatly from 1999 (when the mean was 0.15 COTS per tow) because of high densities of starfish in the Innisfail sector. For comparison, the highest overall mean number of COTS per tow on the GBR during the last major COTS outbreak was 1.17 in 1988.
Details of the current distribution of COTS are as follows:
· The abundance of COTS in the Cooktown / Lizard Is. sector decreased between 1999 and 2000.
· COTS numbers increased substantially in the Cairns, Innisfail and Townsville sectors. This is consistent with a southward drift and is compatible with the hypothesis that secondary outbreaks are caused by larvae being transported between reefs by the East Australian Current.
· COTS numbers in the Swain Reefs increased from 1999 values with greater numbers recorded on all three reefs with outbreaks.
· There were no significant changes in COTS abundance within the other five GBR sectors (no surveys in Cape Grenville sector).
Coral Cover
The salient changes on the Great Barrier Reef over the six years to 2000 reflect the impact of cyclones and COTS on reef communities and their subsequent recovery from such disturbances.
Key results were:
· The highest mean value for cover of living coral on the perimeters of reefs in 2000 (46%) occurred in the Capricorn / Bunker sector and on outer shelf reefs in the Pompey sector. This shows the extent that the coral on Capricorn / Bunker reefs has recovered from very low values after storm activity in 1988. Only one outer-shelf reef (Ben Reef) was surveyed in the Pompey sector.
· Lowest value for reef-wide live coral cover (6%) in 2000 was on midshelf reefs in the Innisfail sector (mean of nine reefs) and inshore reefs in the Townsville sector (mean of two reefs). Many of the reefs in the Innisfail sector have large COTS populations. Only one inshore reef was surveyed in the Cairns sector (Low Isles, 13%).
· Permanent survey sites on NE faces of reefs in 2000 showed that cover of hard coral was highest in the Capricorn / Bunker sector (62%), followed by reefs in the outer shelf region of the Cooktown / Lizard Is. sector (56%). These regions have been recovering from storm damage.
· Coral cover on permanent survey sites was lowest in the inshore region of the Cairns sector (7%) in 2000. These reefs have been affected by COTS, by coral bleaching and, in some cases, by cyclones.
· Coral cover increased on the permanent survey sites over the past six years in the outer shelf region of the Cooktown / Lizard Is. sector and the Capricorn / Bunker sector. Reefs in these regions were damaged by storms a decade ago.
· Coral cover on the permanent survey sites declined over the past six years in the inner regions of the Cairns and Townsville sector due to coral bleaching and COTS.
· Coral cover on the permanent survey sites is currently declining in the inshore and midshelf regions of the Cairns and Townsville sectors, probably due to COTS.
Reef fishes
While abundance of many groups of fishes showed significant long term and current trends in various regions, there were only a few instances where a majority of groups in a region showed a consistent trend:
· The majority of larger, more mobile fish taxa increased in abundance over the preceding six years of surveys in the Capricorn / Bunker sector. Several groups, such as surgeonfishes, snappers and wrasses, continued to increase. Coral cover increased greatly in this region from very low levels in 1990; the changes in fish assemblages probably reflect this.
· Abundances of most damselfish genera increased on inshore and on outer shelf reefs of the Cooktown / Lizard Is sector. Coral cover increased on outer-shelf reefs, but not on the inshore reefs.
· Abundance of the majority of families of larger, more mobile fish declined on outer shelf reefs in the Townsville sector. This change had no simple explanation. Abundance of damselfishes showed recent decline on inshore reefs in that sector, reflecting the loss of coral cover.
· Species richness of the majority of groups of reef fishes increased in the Capricorn / Bunker sector over the past six years, also related to increased coral cover. Over the past six years, species richness declined on outer shelf reefs of the Townsville sector, due in part to loss of surgeonfish species. Species richness increased in the midshelf reefs of the Swains, because of increased numbers of species of surgeonfishes and rabbitfishes.
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Online Documents
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- Copies of papers downloaded from ReefBase may be used and reproduced for non-commercial purpose only.
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2.
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Sweatman, H., A.Cheal, G.Coleman, B.Fitzpatrick, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, C.Page, D.Ryan, A.Thompson and P.Tomkins,
2000
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 4, 2000.
Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Author
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Sweatman, H., A.Cheal, G.Coleman, B.Fitzpatrick, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, C.Page, D.Ryan, A.Thompson and P.Tomkins
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Year
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2000
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Title
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 4, 2000.
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Source
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Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Keywords
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Caption
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Extensive report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
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Abstract
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Online Documents
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- Copies of papers downloaded from ReefBase may be used and reproduced for non-commercial purpose only.
- If you encounter any problem viewing the PDF files, please use the latest version of Adobe Reader.
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3.
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Sweatman, H., D.Bass, A.Cheal, G.Coleman, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, W.Oxley, D.Ryan, A.Thompson and P.Tomkins,
1998
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 3, 1998.
Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Author
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Sweatman, H., D.Bass, A.Cheal, G.Coleman, I.Miller, R.Ninio, K.Osborne, W.Oxley, D.Ryan, A.Thompson and P.Tomkins
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Year
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1998
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Title
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 3, 1998.
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Source
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Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Keywords
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Caption
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Extensive report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
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Abstract
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Online Documents
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- Copies of papers downloaded from ReefBase may be used and reproduced for non-commercial purpose only.
- If you encounter any problem viewing the PDF files, please use the latest version of Adobe Reader.
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5.
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Oliver, J., G. De'Ath, T. Done, D. Williams, M. Furnas and P. Moran (Eds.),
1995
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 1, 1998.
Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Author
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Oliver, J., G. De'Ath, T. Done, D. Williams, M. Furnas and P. Moran (Eds.)
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Year
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1995
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Title
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Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 1, 1998.
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Source
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Australian Institute of Marine Science in conjunction with CRC: Reef Research Centre and the
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Western Australia
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Keywords
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Caption
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Extensive report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
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Abstract
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Online Documents
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No online document
- Copies of papers downloaded from ReefBase may be used and reproduced for non-commercial purpose only.
- If you encounter any problem viewing the PDF files, please use the latest version of Adobe Reader.
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