Roger Beeden – GBRMPA

Coral Triangle Initiative:
Coral Reefs, Fisheries and
Food Security
Climate Change Adaptation
and Tropical Reefs
Dr. Janice Lough – AIMS
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg – UQ
Roger Beeden – GBRMPA
Cameron Darragh - DCC

Climate Change Adaptation and
Tropical Reefs
Presentation Overview
Dr Janice Lough - AIMS
• A changing climate for the Coral
Triangle .
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- UQ
• Climate change impacts on coral
reefs – Critical thresholds .
Roger Beeden – GBRMPA
• GBRMP case study - Climate
change management challenges,
needs and approaches.
Cameron Darragh – DCC
• The Australian governments focus
on adaptation .

Climate Change –
Management Challenges,
Needs and Approaches
Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Case Study
Roger Beeden
Manager - Climate Change Group
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The Great Barrier Reef and the
Coral Triangle – Areas of
International Importance
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• World’s largest coral reef system
• 2,900 coral reefs, 350,000 sq kms
• 836,000 people
Like the CT the GBR includes highly diverse
habitats and biological communities

Climate change challenges for
the Great Barrier Reef
Challenges
Storm frequency & intensity
Precipitation, drought & runoff
Changing circulation
Sea level rise
Sea temperature
Ocean chemistry

Healthy reef
Climate Change Impacts on
the GBR the story so far…..

Bleached reef
5% damaged
Climate Change Impacts on
the GBR the story so far…..
1998
45%
Unaffected
50%
Bleached
2002
5% damaged
35%
Unaffected
60%
Bleached

Damaged reef
Climate Change Impacts on
the GBR the story so far…..
Keppel Islands 2006
40% corals killed

Management Needs:
Knowledge of Vulnerability
Exposure Sensitivity
(86 experts; 24 Chapters)
Potential
impact
Adaptive
capacity
Vulnerability
How do we manage with imperfect
knowledge?
• Climate scenarios = uncertainty
• Vulnerability assessment = Expert
judgement as a mechanism for
dealing with uncertainty
Cost
Values
Management Priority
GBRMPA Climate Change Action Plan

Management Needs:
Priority Actions
Humans
Almost all Great Barrier Reef species and habitats will be affected by
climate change, some seriously.

Management Needs – Flexible
Response Plans
Coral Bleaching Response Plan
Early warning system
Forecast Nowcast Assessment & Monitoring

Recovery can take decades…
…resilience is crucial
Resilience is the ability of a system to absorb shocks, resist
phase shifts and regenerate & reorganise… so as to maintain key
functions and processes. The Resilience Alliance

Strategic Approach:
Maximise resilience to avoid
worst-case scenario
• Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions……
Reef condition
temperature
Pre-climate change
Best-case scenario
Worst-case scenario
RESILIENCE
1950 2000 2050
2100
• Protect Biodiversity – Representative Areas Program
• Improve Water Quality - Reef Rescue Plan

Management approach –
Minimise “chronic stressors”
Biodiversity Protection
‘Green’ zones protect examples of all habitat types
‘Pink’ Zones = examples of key habitats as undisturbed
reference areas
All zones, other than ‘light blue’ zones, protect benthic
habitat
Other management measures
• Dugong Protection Areas
• Threatened Species Recovery Plans
• Mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices
• Bycatch Reduction Devices
In 2004, the Reef was rezoned, increasing
Green (no take) Zones from 4.5% to 33.3%

Management approach –
Minimise “chronic stressors”
Water quality issues
Key management measures
• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan/Reef
Rescue
• Regional Natural Resource Management
Plans
• Water Quality Improvement Plans
(WQIPs)
• Coastal and Local Government Plans
• Wastewater and sewage guidelines,
policies, legislation and regulations
• Water Quality Guidelines

Management actions do work
Coral trout
Average biomass (g) per site
(1500m 2 ) +/- SE
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Whitsunday Islands
Blue
Green
Palm Islands
Since 2004 coral trout numbers have
rebounded by 31-75 per cent on the
majority of reefs
Source: Graham et al 2007

Management actions do work
Photos: Environmental Protection Agency
The implementation of moorings
and no anchoring areas has
reduced the incidence of anchor
damage to coral

A healthy Reef requires
effective partnerships

Building Capacity & Partnership
Coral Reef Managers Guide
Includes guidance and case studies on:
• Preparing bleaching response plans,
• Assessing the impacts of bleaching,
• Engaging with the public,
• Managing activities that may impact reefs
during bleaching events,
• Identifying resilient reef areas,
• Incorporating reef resilience into marine
protected area design,
• Contributions from 17 experts,
• Reviews by 34 world-renowned specialists on
coral reef management, the causes and
consequences of bleaching, and marine policy
issues.

Building Capacity & Partnerships
Responding to Climate Change: A workshop
for Coral Reef Managers
Preparing for Bleaching
Events
Responding to climate
change impacts
Understanding climate
change and risks to
reefs
Building
Resilience
to Climate
Change

A Strategic Approach-
The Climate Change Action
Plan for the Great Barrier Reef
SST o C
29
28
27
26
25
Observed and projected annual GBR sea surface temperatures (1871-2006)
Climate change (last-first 30 years) = +0.4 o C
a. Observed and projected annual GBR SSTs 1871-2006
Climate change (last - first 30 years) = +0.4 o C
Goal:
Increase the chances of the
GBR coping with climate
change.
How:
•Targeted science
•A resilient GBR ecosystem
•Adaptation of industries and
communities
•Reduced climate footprints
Courtesy Janice Lough, AIMS
1870 1900 1930 1960 1990 2020 2050 2080
Year
Adaptation
High emissions
GBR Resilience
Mitigation
A2
B1
Low emissions

The Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park - multiple use ‘values’