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.