Recent datasets
The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2010 provides both spatial and text information about government, Indigenous and privately protected areas for continental Australia. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data current for various dates between June 2010 and January 2011. This is the eighth version of the database, with previous versions released in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. CAPAD provides a snapshot of protected areas that meet the IUCN definition of a protected area:
Surveys were carried out in targeted shallow seabed environments within the proposed Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in the Timor Sea. The survey concentrated on shelf habitats (< 200m) of the western part of the Oceanic Shoals CMR and included potential biodiversity hotspots such as pinnacles, banks and shoals.
Surveys of green (no-take) zoned sites and blue (open to fishing) sites in adjacent areas of the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park were carried out to determine any effects which might be attributable to a change in zoning plan in 2004. Assessment of the fish communities was enumerated using baited underwater video sets (BRUVS) and towed video. \n \n'Cardwell shoals' comprised Brook Shoal (MNP-18-1077) as the site in the green zone; and Eva Rock and Forty Foot Rock as sites in in the "blue" zone in July, September and December 2006, November 2007 and May 2010.
Towed video (Towvid) surveys were undertaken in February/March 2007 and August/September 2007 on two pairs of discrete deepwater shoals in the mid-shelf section of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Within each pair, one shoal was from a 'green zone' (closed to all fishing) and the other from a 'blue zone' (open to fishing), based on the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, carried out in 2004. The pairs of reefs chosen were: East Warregos (green) and West Warregos (blue); Barcoo Bank (green) and Karamea Bank (blue).
Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS (TM)) were deployed in August/September 2007 and January 2008 to survey assemblages of fish, sharks, rays and sea snakes at deep water sites (40-60 m) in South Scott Reef lagoon. The survey program was aimed at detecting impacts of the 2007 seismic acquisition (Maxima 3D Marine Seismic Survey or Maxima 3D MSS) conducted by Woodside Energy Ltd., which covered an area of approximately 362 km² of the lagoon. \n \nTwo series of BRUVS (TM) surveys were conducted.
Surveys were undertaken in February/March and August/September 2007 (Autumn and Spring) and October 2009 (Spring) on two pairs of discrete deepwater shoals in the mid-shelf section of the southern Great Barrier Reef - East and West Warregos; Karamea and Barcoo Banks. Within each pair, one shoal was from a 'Green' (closed to all fishing) and the other from a 'Blue' (open to fishing) zone, based on the rezoning carried out in 2004.
A baseline survey of 5 green zoned sites on Magnetic Shoals together with 4 adjacent blue zoned areas of the marine park. Surveys were carried out in July, September, October and November 2006 to assess any seasonal effects on the fish and benthic communities in addition to potential zoning effects. The Shoals are characterised by a mosaic of rich epibenthic filter feeding communities typically surrounded by low relief algae and seagrasses. These communities appear to be founded on loose sediments comprised of sand, rubble and foraminifera.
Surveys were undertaken in January/February 2009 (summer) at the Capricorn-Bunker, Pompey and Swains Groups on deepwater reef bases (shoals) in the Great Barrier Reef. In each survey, reefs were paired with one zoned 'green' (closed to fishing) and the other 'blue' (open to all fishing) - 16 pairs of reefs. The demersal habitats and vertebrate communities were sampled using non-extractive baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS), which revealed a diverse (c360 species) fauna of fish, sharks, rays and sea snakes.
During the central and eastern Torres Strait survey in November 2006, tissue samples of 10 individuals of the sponge Coscinoderma matthewsi were collected from 5 island groups: Ugar (Stephen Island) and Erub (Darnley Island) in eastern Torres Strait; and the Masig group (Kodall Island and Keats Island), Poruma (Coconut Island) and Warraber (Sue Island) in central Torres Strait. These island groups are on average, 66 km apart. All sponge samples were placed in separate cryo-tubes and preserved in liquid nitrogen until they could be stored at -80°C.
Size frequency surveys of the sponges Coscinoderma matthewsi, Hyrtios erecta and Ianthella basta (yellow color morph) were conducted at Masig Island, central Torres Strait, in March 2007. At each of eight sites, separated by at least 200 m, three randomly positioned 30 x 1 m transects were surveyed, with each transect separated by at least 20 m. All transects were located on sloping reef at between 10 and 12 m depth.The greatest dimension of each sponge was measured for Coscinoderma matthewsi and Ianthella basta, and used as an approximation of overall sponge size.
Surveys were undertaken in February/March 2007 (Autumn), August/September 2007 (Spring) and October 2009 (Spring) on two pairs of discrete deepwater shoals in the mid-shelf section of the southern Great Barrier Reef. The objective was to find pairs of shoals that were matched in terms of depth, habitat, areal extent, cross shelf position and latitude. Within each pair, one shoal was to be from a 'green zone' (closed to all fishing) and the other from a 'blue zone' (open to fishing), based on the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, carried out in 2004.
This project conducted a biodiversity assessment of coral communities on Torres Strait reefs to establish a baseline of coral condition and start a longer-term monitoring program of selected coral reefs in the region. The monitoring looked for changes in the condition of coral reefs and documented factors that might contribute to changes including COTS, disease, bleaching, temperature anomalies etc. As part of this project, an early warning system was established for coral bleaching.
The coral, Acropora millepora and the crustose coralline algae, Neogoniolithon fosliei were exposed to 3 photosystem II (PSII) herbicides (diuron, hexazinone and atrazine). Corals were collected at depths between 1 and 3m from Double Cone Island and Hayman Island in the Whitsunday group. The crustose coralline algae was collected from Davies Reef at depths between 5 and 7m.
Using a quantitative genetics approach, the proportion of the variance in thermal tolerance traits that has a genetic basis (i.e. heritability) was estimated as a proxy for their adaptive potential in the widespread Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Acropora millepora. Two physiologically different populations that associate respectively with one thermotolerant (Symbiodinium clade D) and one less tolerant symbiont type (Symbiodinium C2) were chosen.
Samples of S. flexibilis were collected from a total of 11 sites from inshore and offshore reefs within the Torres Strait, Cairns, Townsville and Whitsunday regions of the Great Barrier Reef between December 1998 and February 2000.
As part of MTSRF Task 2.5i.2, a range of indices were investigated to quantify upwelling on the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. These indices are necessary for exploring environmental and biological relationships in areas where upwelling may be sporadic and less intense, especially along western boundary currents such as the East Australian Current.
Next generation DNA sequencing was used to scan a large proportion of the transcribed coding DNA in Acropora millepora for polymorphisms. Transcribed coding DNA (messenger RNA - mRNA) was extracted from 8 colonies sampled at three thermally distinct habitats along the GBR (Wilke Island Reef in Princess Charlotte Bay, Nelly Bay at Magnetic Island, and Miall Island in the Keppel Islands). The mRNA extractions from each population were pooled and translated back to the complementary DNA (cDNA), which was sequenced using 454 pyrosequencing by the Australian Genome Research Facility.
This simulation model allows various scenarios to be run which test how different percentages of nutrient reductions (and the parallel improvement in inshore reef quality) might operate in conjunction with raised water temperatures (as a result of climate change). \n \nThe model has been used for the following simulations: \nThe beneficial impact of end-of-catchment dissolved inorganic nutrients reductions (10%, 30%, 50% and 70%) in raising the bleaching resistance (i.e. the UTBT, °C) of inshore reefs between Townsville and Cooktown.
A three-dimensional whole-of-GBR baroclinic hydrodynamic model was applied at a spatial resolution of between 1 and 4 km. The model simulations are compiled to examine the intensity, duration and frequency of different lower salinity events. Return periods are then calculated from the annual frequency of such events. \n \nThe model includes the factors affecting currents, mixing, temperature and salinity within the GBR lagoon and exchanges with the adjacent Coral Sea: river discharge, time-series wind, tidal.
A baseline survey of green (no-take) zoned sites and blue (open to fishing) sites in adjacent areas of the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was carried out in December 2006. Three paired sites were surveyed in the Cairns region on deepwater shoals in the vicinity of Green Island and Michaelmas Reef (one green, one blue site off each), and Hastings (Green) and Oyster (blue) Reefs. Assessment of the fish communities was enumerated using baited underwater video sets (BRUVS) and habitat was characterised by towed video.