Attributes Working Group

This Working Group is developing a list of key attributes of a reef that is biophysically, socially and economically sustainable in the face of climate change. With this knowledge in hand, the sustainability of all coral reefs can be assessed to determine their resilience to climate change.

Working Group Members:

Name	Position	Institute	Expertise
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (Chair)	Director , Global Change Institute	University of Queensland	Corals and climate change
Dr Natalie Ban	Post Doctral Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies	James Cook University	Conservation planning
Dr Catherine Collier	Post Doctoral Fellow, Plant & Agricultural Sciences	James Cook University	Seagrasses
Dr Guillermo Diaz-Pulido	Lecturer, Griffith School of Environment	Griffith University	Coral reef algae - reef degradation and climate change
Dr Katharina Fabricius	Principal Research Scientist	Australian Institute of Marine Science	Coral reef ecology and conservation, inshore benthic systems
Dr Simon Foale	Senior Lecturer, Arts, Education and Social Sciences	James Cook University	Social context, indigenous knowledge, politics
Dr Morgan Pratchett	Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies	James Cook University	Coral reef ecology, marine biogeography, herbivory
Prof. Bob Pressey	Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies	James Cook University	Conservation planning
Dr Catherine Robinson	Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems	CSIRO	Environmental governance systems, with a focus on cross-cultural and regional planning arrangements
Assoc. Prof. Natalie Stoeckl	Head of Discipline - Economics, School of Business	James Cook University	Economic, environmental and natural resources management
Dr Hugh Sweatman	Senior Research SceLeader of Long Term Monitoring Program	Australian Institute of Marine Science	Patterns of change in coral reef ecology, monitoring
Dr Karen Vella	Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning	Griffith University	Natural Resource Management and Governance
Dr David Wachenfeld	Chief Scientist	Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority	Reef risk assessment, resilience as a response to climate change
Assoc. Prof., Michelle Waycott	Assoc. Prof., Plant and Agricultural Sciences	James Cook University	Genetics and evolution of Seagrasses
Prof. Bette Willis	Professor, School of Marine and Tropical Biology	James Cook University	Coral disease, coral life history

Socio Economic Sub-group

Name	Position	Organisation
Dr Karen Vella (Facilitator)	Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning	Griffith University
Dr Allan Dale	Chief Executive Officer	Terrain NRM
Dr Nick Emtage	Research Fellow, School of Integrative Systems, Cairns	University of Queensland
Dr Margaret Gooch	Lecturer, School of Education	James Cook University
Ms Silva Larson	Research Scientist, Sustainable Ecosystems	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Dr Kirsten Maclean	Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Natural and Rural Systems Management	University of Queensland
Dr Nadine Marshall	Research Scientist, Sustainable Ecosystems	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Dr Cath Robinson	Senior Research Scientist, Sustainable Ecosystems	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Prof. Helen Ross	Professor, School of Integrative Systems	University of Queensland
Dr Sizhong Sun	Lecturer, School of Business	James Cook University
Assoc. Prof. Natalie Stoeckl	Head of Dicipline - Economics	James Cook University
Mr Bruce Taylor	Research Scientist - Sustainable Ecosystems	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Working Group Progress:

Since the inaugural Attributes Working Group meeting in November of 2008, the group has;

Undertaken an assesment of the local and global threats to the Great Barrier Reef, particularly relating to climate change factors;
Identified a list of 8 bio-physical and socio-economic Attributes of a Resilient Reef in the face of climate change; and
Identified key knowledge gaps and future research priorities.
Developed a draft framework that would enable the Attributes to be used to measure the impacts of climate change on the relilence of the Great Barrier Reef.