scholarly journals Commercial Swim Programs With Dwarf Minke Whales On The Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Some Characteristics Of The Encounters With Management Implications

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Birtles ◽  
PW Arnold ◽  
A Dunstan
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
General Principle ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽  
Management Implications ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
Minke Whales ◽  
June July

Commercial swim programs with the dwarf minke whale Balaenoptera ?acutorostrata occur seasonally (primarily June - July) within the Cairns and Far Northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park. Observations of whale-swimmer interactions over five seasons indicate that initiation and maintenance of contact with vessel and swimmers is largely voluntary and thus the swim programs can comply with the general principle that the whales control the initiation and nature of interactions. Preliminary data on within-season (13 whales in 1999) and between year (four whales from 1999 in 2000, 2001) re-sightings within the study area suggest that any impacts from swim programs may affect a particular subset of the population. The extent of possible cumulative effects can be assessed by continuation of the existing photo and video-ID program. No signs of aggression have been documented but some behaviour (bubble blasts, jaw gape) could be considered as threat display. More detailed analysis of behaviour is necessary to monitor such behaviour. A risk analysis is given for aspects of the interactions, with suggested research to monitor such risks.

Management Of Marine Mammal Tours On The Great Barrier Reef

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Stokes ◽  
K Dobbs ◽  
C Recchia
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Whale Watching ◽  
Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Minke Whales ◽  
Limited Entry

Of the more than 30 species of marine mammal occurring within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP), three are the focus of wildlife-based tours: humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), dwarf minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and dugongs (Dugong dugon). Currently (April 2001), 19 permits, comprising 31 ships and two aircraft, allow whalewatching in the GBRMP. The combined passenger capacity of these craft is 3,238 at any one time (e.g., per day). However, fewer than 15,000 persons were recorded in ?dedicated? whalewatching tours each month during the May - October ?whale-watching? season between 1998 and 2000. Watching M. novaeangliae occurs primarily in the Central and Cairns Sections of the GBRMP, with most activity focused in the Whitsundays. Permitted levels of whale-watching are capped at eight permits in the Cairns Area, and at 11 permits in the Whitsundays. Other tours include: a specialised form of whale-watching involving swimming with B. acutorostrata which is being brought within a limited-entry management regime; one dolphin-watching tour in the Central Section of the GBRMP north of the Whitsundays; and one dugong-watching tour in the Hinchinbrook Region. Because of reported declines in the number of D. dugon on the Great Barrier Reef, this activity is being monitored closely before further permits are granted. Marine mammal watching activities in the GBRMP are managed through a combination of best practices guidelines, codes of conduct, regulations, zoning, wildlife protection areas and permits. The potential for the commercial whale-watching industry to become self-regulating is acknowledged.

Management of Water Quality in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Woodley
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Management Issue ◽  
Reef System ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
World Heritage List ◽  
The World ◽  
Coral Reef System

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is recognised and appreciated worldwide as a unique environment and for this reason has been inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Reef is economically-important to Queensland and Australia, supporting substantial tourism and fishing industries. Management of the Great Barrier Reef to ensure conservation of its natural qualities in perpetuity is achieved through the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The maintenance of water quality to protect the reef and the industries which depend on it is becoming an increasingly important management issue requiring better knowledge and possibly new standards of treatment and discharge.

Aerial Surveys of Sea Turtles in the Northern Great Barrier-Reef Marine Park

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Marsh ◽  
WK Saalfeld
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Seagrass Beds ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Sea State ◽  
Water Turbidity ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
Specific Correction

In 1984 and 1985, during surveys designed primarily to census dugongs, six species of sea turtles were counted from the air at an overall sampling intensity of 9% over a total area of 31 288 km2 within the northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The sea turtles were not identified to species. We attempted to correct sightings for perception bias (the proportion of animals visible in the transect which are missed by observers), and to standardise for availability bias (the.proportion of animals that are invisible due to water turbidity) with survey-specific correction factors. The resultant minimum population estimate in November 1985 was (mean � s.e.) 32 187 � 2532 sea turtles at an overall density of 1.03 � 0.08 km-2, a precision of 8%. We consider this to be a gross underestimate of numbers present. Significant differences between population and density estimates obtained from repeat surveys of the same areas were accounted for by differences in Beaufort sea state and cloud cover. The analysis of covariance data suggested that we had not been successful in standardising all biases. Turtles were widely distributed throughout the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from inshore seagrass beds to mid- and outer-shelf reefs. Highest densities were observed on inshore seagrass beds and on mid-shelf reefs, particularly between Murdoch Island and Cape Melville, and in Princess Charlotte Bay. Maps of density and distribution are given. We discuss the value and limitations of this survey regime for censusing sea turtles.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from Australia’s Stakeholder Engagement Efforts for MPA Planning

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
OCTO
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Park

Jon Day shares key lessons learned from stakeholder engagement efforts during the Representative Areas Program in the Great Barrier Reef, which was a key part of the comprehensive rezoning of the entire Marine Park between 1999 and 2003. As a result of this planning process, the total area of no-take zones increased from less than 5% to over one-third of the Marine Park, highlighting in large part the importance of effectively engaging stakeholders.

Great Barrier Reef

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Kingsford ◽  
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Disease ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
The World ◽  
The Common ◽  
International Experts

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed. In addition,the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play. Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from 33 international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and environmental manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Winner of a Whitley Certificate of Commendation for 2009.

scholarly journals Long‐term dynamics and drivers of coral and macroalgal cover on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela M. Ceccarelli ◽  
Richard D. Evans ◽  
Murray Logan ◽  
Philippa Mantel ◽  
Marji Puotinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Macroalgal Cover ◽  
Marine Park

scholarly journals Quantifying Ship Strike Risk to Breeding Whales in a Multiple-Use Marine Park: The Great Barrier Reef

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua N. Smith ◽  
Natalie Kelly ◽  
Simon Childerhouse ◽  
Jessica V. Redfern ◽  
Thomas J. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Marine Park ◽  
Ship Strike

Users Could Pay in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

1992 ◽  
Vol 1992 (65) ◽  
pp. 15-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerry Geen ◽  
Padma Lal
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Marine Park
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document