Seals for the Reef
This project, carried out by the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ARE CRC) under direction by Dr Stephen Rintoul and Prof. Mark Hindell, supported the collection of data using southern elephant seals to better understand how the temperature, salinity, pH and other characteristics of the waters of the Southern Ocean are changing. Changes to these characteristics in cool and cold water, where they are experienced first, will provide early warning of similar and subsequent changes in the tropical and sub-tropical regions like those surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. Predictions of this change will be immensely valuable to the effectiveness of adaption efforts on the GBR.
Data is gathered through the use of satellite tags which are glued to the fur on the head of the seals and fall off when the seal moults each summer (providing an average of nine months data collection). They measure temperature, salinity and depth as the seals dive for food. When the seals surface to breathe the data is transmitted by satellite to receiving stations on land.
In February 2011, electronic tags were deployed on 5 juvenile male southern elephant seals, living in the Southern Ocean, while they were at Davis Station. The seals then returned to the waters of the Southern Ocean and transmitting location, dive behavior and oceanographic data over the next 8 months. Some fascinating insights into seal biology were revealed by the study. For example, one of the juvenile seals were able to dived to a depth of 1850m - covering more than 3km in a single breath – quite a staggering feat, given its youth! The data that was recovered by the seals also gave insight into the rate at which Antarctic ice is melting and the potential loss of ice in the future as well as key indications of the type of currents that exist under the Antarctic shelf. Estimates, based on this new data, suggest that the shelf-ice melt rates are 50% larger than previous estimated, for a given change in temperature. A link to the full report can be found here.
Link to Seals for the Reef website.
eReefs Pilot
eReefs is an ambitious and visionary project which aims to integrate and visualise GBR related data and models spanning the paddock, catchment, estuary, lagoon and ocean, into a unified framework with supporting visualisation and communication tools to make it accessible to a wide range of audiences. The complete eReefs project will provide the most comprehensive picture of the Reef as it is, has been and will be in the future, significantly enhancing the decision making capabilities of Reef managers and policy makers.
A pilot project, funded by a partnership between the Foundation, Telstra, the Queensland Government and CSIRO, commenced in May 2010. This pilot project focussed on demonstrating the importance and value of two of the key work packages which make up the larger eReefs project. The pilot delivered:
- The visualisation platform required for the larger eReefs project.
- Application of the visualisation technology to two key river catchments (Burdekin and Barron) for a set of historical events.
- A prototype of the intergration of key models (catchment, estuarine and lagoon) for the Fitzroy River.
The pilot was completed in late 2010 and has been crucial in attracting support for and investment in the larger eReefs project which will commence in 2012.
Water and Light on the Great Barrier Reef
University of Queensland researchers have been able to harness daily NASA satellite data to measure water clarity at small scale resolution across the Reef. This satellite data has been validated by measurements in the field using Secchi disks.
Further analysis of historical water clarity data has allowed researchers to:
- Establish benchmark water clarity across the Reef,
- Identify how events (eg cyclones, ocean current eddies) drive changes to water clarity and
- Identify specific areas of the Reef that may be more vulnerable than others.
This project enables the development of such tools as Reef vulnerability zoning and early warning systems for coral bleaching. These tools will be invaluable for Reef management and developing our response to the impacts of climate change.
Cost of a Bleaching Event to the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation commissioned Oxford Economics to undertake a study of the costs of a total and permanent bleaching on the Reef to the Cairns region and, as part of that study, to reassess the value of the Reef. The outcomes of this report reveal how much is at stake for the Reef, Cairns, Australian and the world through climate change. Detailed report output.
No Regrets Actions
This initiative engaged scientific experts to identify and document a set of ‘No Regrets’ policy and management actions which can be immediately implemented to help protect and preserve the Great Barrier Reef. The actions focussed on five key areas: Overfishing of Sharks, Shipping Activities in the GBR, Illegal Fishing Activity, Impacts of Monofilament Gill Nets and Data Access and Sharing across Agencies. The actions are now being integrated into the Research Framework, specifically through the Working Group activities.
e-Atlas
Through its ZooXTM Fund, the Foundation invested in the e-Atlas initiative which sought to combine data from across sources and institutions to improve the understanding of how the Reef functions and how best to manage it. Within the Atlas program, the Foundation’s invested in six projects: Zooxanthellae Tolerance to Climate Change; Linkage between Thermal Anomalies and Coral Disease; Framework and Data Integration; Water and Light on the Great Barrier Reef; Enhanced Delivery; and Enhancing Delivery of the Census of Marine Life Data.
Ballast Water Treatment
Exotic species of microscopic plants and animals in ballast water, moved around the globe in large ships, are recognised as a major threat to coastal environments and Reef ecosystems. This project focussed on new technologies and disinfection treatment methods, including filtration, chemicals and ultra-violet irradiation.
Coral Futures
In June 2006, the Foundation secured a major partnership with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to fund the Coral Futures program for three years. Coral Futures was an educational program which allowed for undergraduate science and marine science students to attend “intensive” courses at the island research stations on the Reef. These courses, run by the Tropical Marine Network, united faculty members and students in field trips to six latitudes on the Reef, and offered an experience unique in Australian tertiary education.
Irukandji
The Irukandji is a tiny, transparent and nearly invisible jellyfish with stinging tentacles that are dangerous and sometimes lethal to unprotected swimmers. The Foundation funded three projects designed to better understand this species and the risks it poses to Reef users. Outcomes included the establishment of a specimen collection for genetic studies, dangerous species identification studies and the development of anti-venom for the treatment of stinger victims.
Crown of Thorns Research and Eradication Program
In its first three years, the Foundation participated in a Commonwealth and State government funded Crown of Thorns Starfish Eradication Program. Crown of Thorns infestations have long loomed as a threat to the Great Barrier Reef and industries like tourism that depend on it. This program was specifically designed to ensure that our most valuable tourism pontoons are defended against outbreaks of this unrelenting coral invader.
Sponge Aquaculture
This project focussed on the aquaculture of sponges and soft corals as the basis for a profitable and environmentally sustainable regional industry in far north Queensland. This Australian Institute of Marine Science venture was the first of its type in Australia and the first run by an indigenous community. It was designed to maximise training and education outcomes as well as constituting a profitable and environmentally sustainable undertaking.