Australia - The Great Barrier Reef and Global Conservation

GREAT BARRIER REEF'S INFLUENCE ON GLOBAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS

"The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. The world's first comprehensive Census of Marine Life- past, present and future- will be released in 2010." http://www.coml.org/

Since late 2005, CReefs became the coral reef component of this initiative. And the Great Barrier Reef became the major focus of intense research. The Great Barrier Reef is influencing global conservation efforts in other countries and is attracting global efforts.

Since 1981, when the Great Barrier Reef was declared a World Heritage Area, it has attracted global attention. Being world heritage listed means being ranked as a world treasure; it means being closely protected and watched internationally. The Great Barrier Reef must perform as a global model of marine conservation efforts. Bonnie Tsui, of the NY Times News Service, wrote on June 22, 2007- "Though the Great Barrier is the most famous reef, it is not the most threatened; its extensive marine management program is widely regarded as a model for conservation." http://www.taipeitimes.com/

But as far as Australia is concerned, those efforts began before 1981. The Great Barrier Reef covers about 345,000 square kilometers, along 2,300 kilometers of the Queensland coastline of Australia. It is by far the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. To protect this huge area, (co-ordinating and regulating all human activity), in 1975, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act was enacted by the Australian Government. Oil drilling and deep sea mining/exploration was immediately banned. Research into the reef's extensive biological diversity and the pressures of human activity on the system, became ongoing and systematic. And research promptly activated best practice procedures.

The GBRMPA (with a huge network of affiliated associations) regulates the tourist industry, recreational activities and commercial shipping. But, in July 2004, the real world benchmark was put into place. From 4.5 to 33% of the reef became highly protected zones. This means that marine life is protected at all costs in a larger area. Human commercial interests take second place.

To ensure the world knows of these initiatives, a workshop was held June 11 to July 2, 2006. Biology teachers from the U.S. were trained in how to conduct educational activities in the Great Barrier Reef. "The workshop included officials of several governmental and non-governmental agencies involved in education, research, cultural connections, and environmental protection of the Great Barrier Reef and coastal Queensland. Through the workshops we produced an electronic-diary based on teaching workshops." http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ The writer adds, "I was exposed to tropical marine environments and environmental protection practices that are unavailable in the U.S." and "Through this professional growth experience, I brought knowledge, teaching resources and understanding of this important conservation issue back to my campus." The results are shared with the global community at http://www.pc.maricopa.edu/

In 1998, world coral reefs were significantly damaged by climate-related coral bleaching. In 9 months, 16% of world reefs were destroyed. Reefs in the West Indian Ocean lost 48% while the Great Barrier Reef lost 3% of its reef. http://www.environment.gov.au/ It would appear, the conservation efforts of the GBRMPA and its associated authorities may have managed the reef successfully. This achievement attracted further world attention, encouraging more countries to look to the Great Barrier Reef as a model of modern conservation. TAFEs and Universities in Queensland offer any interested students a range of courses on viable and tested reef management, using the Great Barrier Reef as a prime example. Knowledge shared is knowledge gained.

And so the research goes on. From monitoring the predatory behavior of the crown-of-thorns star fish to identifying best channels for ships passing a reef (keeping harmful fuel emissions to a minimum); from minimizing the choking effect of sediment carried by river run-off to tightly regulating tourist sightseeing, diving and fishing; from tabling the impact of cyclones (an Australian tropical phenomenon) to establishing and publicizing safety measures for all reef travelers, the researchers try to find ways of keeping a pristine, "world-class" reef ecosystem.

Conservation of the Great Barrier Reef represents a united effort between Australian government and private agencies; global governments and global agencies. They have one goal beyond merely preserving the Great Barrier Reef. And that goal is to make the fragile reef ecosystem resilient. The reef is a test case, a global model, scrutinized closely by world eyes. This is a World Heritage site, and the global community wants to enjoy it.

General Sources

www.gbrmpa.gov.au