Institution
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Government•Townsville, Queensland, Australia•
About: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is a government organization based out in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Coral reef & Reef. The organization has 140 authors who have published 262 publications receiving 22911 citations.
Topics: Coral reef, Reef, Resilience of coral reefs, Coral bleaching, Coral
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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James Cook University1, United States Environmental Protection Agency2, Stockholm University3, University of California, Davis4, University of Queensland5, University of California, San Diego6, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute7, National Center for Atmospheric Research8, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority9, Stanford University10, National Museum of Natural History11, Natural History Museum12
TL;DR: International integration of management strategies that support reef resilience need to be vigorously implemented, and complemented by strong policy decisions to reduce the rate of global warming.
Abstract: The diversity, frequency, and scale of human impacts on coral reefs are increasing to the extent that reefs are threatened globally. Projected increases in carbon dioxide and temperature over the next 50 years exceed the conditions under which coral reefs have flourished over the past half-million years. However, reefs will change rather than disappear entirely, with some species already showing far greater tolerance to climate change and coral bleaching than others. International integration of management strategies that support reef resilience need to be vigorously implemented, and complemented by strong policy decisions to reduce the rate of global warming.
3,664 citations
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James Cook University1, University of Leeds2, Queensland Museum3, University of Queensland4, University of Sydney5, Australian Institute of Marine Science6, University of Western Australia7, Griffith University8, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration9, Curtin University10, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority11
TL;DR: The distinctive geographic footprints of recurrent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002 and 2016 were determined by the spatial pattern of sea temperatures in each year, suggesting that local protection of reefs affords little or no resistance to extreme heat.
Abstract: During 2015–2016, record temperatures triggered a pan-tropical episode of coral bleaching, the third global-scale event since mass bleaching was first documented in the 1980s. Here we examine how and why the severity of recurrent major bleaching events has varied at multiple scales, using aerial and underwater surveys of Australian reefs combined with satellite-derived sea surface temperatures. The distinctive geographic footprints of recurrent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002 and 2016 were determined by the spatial pattern of sea temperatures in each year. Water quality and fishing pressure had minimal effect on the unprecedented bleaching in 2016, suggesting that local protection of reefs affords little or no resistance to extreme heat. Similarly, past exposure to bleaching in 1998 and 2002 did not lessen the severity of bleaching in 2016. Consequently, immediate global action to curb future warming is essential to secure a future for coral reefs.
2,073 citations
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TL;DR: Experimentally manipulated the density of large herbivorous fishes to test their influence on the resilience of coral assemblages in the aftermath of regional-scale bleaching in 1998, the largest coral mortality event recorded to date.
1,427 citations
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TL;DR: This study bridges the gap between the theory and practice of assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse, under the emerging framework for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems, by rigorously defining both the initial and collapsed states, identifying the major driver of change, and establishing quantitative collapse thresholds.
Abstract: Global warming is rapidly emerging as a universal threat to ecological integrity and function, highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of the impact of heat exposure on the resilience of ecosystems and the people who depend on them
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. Here we show that in the aftermath of the record-breaking marine heatwave on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016
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, corals began to die immediately on reefs where the accumulated heat exposure exceeded a critical threshold of degree heating weeks, which was 3–4 °C-weeks. After eight months, an exposure of 6 °C-weeks or more drove an unprecedented, regional-scale shift in the composition of coral assemblages, reflecting markedly divergent responses to heat stress by different taxa. Fast-growing staghorn and tabular corals suffered a catastrophic die-off, transforming the three-dimensionality and ecological functioning of 29% of the 3,863 reefs comprising the world’s largest coral reef system. Our study bridges the gap between the theory and practice of assessing the risk of ecosystem collapse, under the emerging framework for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems
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, by rigorously defining both the initial and collapsed states, identifying the major driver of change, and establishing quantitative collapse thresholds. The increasing prevalence of post-bleaching mass mortality of corals represents a radical shift in the disturbance regimes of tropical reefs, both adding to and far exceeding the influence of recurrent cyclones and other local pulse events, presenting a fundamental challenge to the long-term future of these iconic ecosystems.
1,027 citations
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TL;DR: Comprehensive review of available evidence shows major, rapid benefits of no-take areas for targeted fish and sharks, in both reef and nonreef habitats, with potential benefits for fisheries as well as biodiversity conservation.
Abstract: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) provides a globally significant demonstration of the effectiveness of large-scale networks of marine reserves in contributing to integrated, adaptive management. Comprehensive review of available evidence shows major, rapid benefits of no-take areas for targeted fish and sharks, in both reef and nonreef habitats, with potential benefits for fisheries as well as biodiversity conservation. Large, mobile species like sharks benefit less than smaller, site-attached fish. Critically, reserves also appear to benefit overall ecosystem health and resilience: outbreaks of coral-eating, crown-of-thorns starfish appear less frequent on no-take reefs, which consequently have higher abundance of coral, the very foundation of reef ecosystems. Effective marine reserves require regular review of compliance: fish abundances in no-entry zones suggest that even no-take zones may be significantly depleted due to poaching. Spatial analyses comparing zoning with seabed biodiversity or dugong distributions illustrate significant benefits from application of best-practice conservation principles in data-poor situations. Increases in the marine reserve network in 2004 affected fishers, but preliminary economic analysis suggests considerable net benefits, in terms of protecting environmental and tourism values. Relative to the revenue generated by reef tourism, current expenditure on protection is minor. Recent implementation of an Outlook Report provides regular, formal review of environmental condition and management and links to policy responses, key aspects of adaptive management. Given the major threat posed by climate change, the expanded network of marine reserves provides a critical and cost-effective contribution to enhancing the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
479 citations
Authors
Showing all 140 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Geoffrey P. Jones | 74 | 298 | 24538 |
Simon R. Thorrold | 60 | 148 | 14494 |
Jon Brodie | 54 | 210 | 9203 |
Laurence J. McCook | 42 | 71 | 8886 |
Jeffrey Maynard | 37 | 77 | 4997 |
Paul Marshall | 37 | 82 | 9207 |
Michelle Devlin | 36 | 104 | 4133 |
William Gladstone | 30 | 92 | 2550 |
Ray Berkelmans | 29 | 48 | 5528 |
Ashley J. Frisch | 28 | 61 | 1834 |
David H. Williamson | 26 | 60 | 3301 |
Stuart Kininmonth | 26 | 54 | 3887 |
David Haynes | 24 | 46 | 2058 |
Andrew D. L. Steven | 24 | 75 | 3753 |
Jon C. Day | 23 | 58 | 3020 |