The Great Barrier Reef is a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, home to millions of species of plants and animals. It also supports the livelihoods of coastal communities and associated industries.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is charged with managing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and regularly reports on its state and management actions being taken. Its Outlook Report, released in September 2009, rated the prospects for the Reef as 'poor' unless significant action is taken.
Visit www.gbrmpa.gov.au for more information.
Climate change is emerging as the biggest threat to the future of the Great Barrier Reef. Its direct impacts are already evident in increased frequency of coral bleaching events in recent years. (See The Reef and climate change).
The Reef is inextricably linked to both the adjacent coastal land and ocean and is highly susceptible to damaging activities occurring in these areas. Poorly managed land clearing for agriculture and coastal development results in high levels of sediments, nutrients and toxins entering the creeks and rivers which flow out onto the Reef. Near-shore reefs show the impacts of these activities through loss of corals, increased growth of algae, and changes in number and type of animals present. Impacts lessen with distance from shore: a lot of off-shore reefs still retain healthy and diverse coral and animals populations.
Overfishing is also a significant threat to the Reef, especially where a particular species or group of fish is targeted. The targeted removal of one fish species can upset the balance of the ecosystem and lead to increased growth of algae, loss of coral and over-proliferation of other fish and invertebrate animals.
Large ships regularly transit the inner route of the Reef, bringing with them the threat of major oil and chemical spills. The Great Barrier Reef has so far avoided a major oil spill, but the threat looms larger with increasing ship traffic. The impact of waste products generated by routine shipping activities and ballast water treatment and management also continue to cause concern.
These threats are of particular concern when we are facing a future of changing climate. A reef already compromised by land based activities, overfishing and shipping will be less resilient to the impacts posed by climate change and faces a worrying future.