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Corals are sessile invertebrates living underwater in colorful structures known as reefs. Unfortunately, coral's temperature sensitivity is causing color bleaching, which hosts organisms that are crucial and consequently affect marine pharmacognosy. To address this problem, many researchers are developing cures and treatment procedures to restore bleached corals. However, before the cure, the researchers need to precisely localize the bleached corals in the Great Barrier Reef. The researchers have developed various visual classification frameworks to localize bleached corals. However, the performance of those techniques degrades with variations in illumination, orientation, scale, and view angle. In this paper, we develop highly noise-robust and invariant robust localization using bag-of-hybrid visual features (RL-BoHVF) for bleached corals by employing the AlexNet DNN and ColorTexture handcrafted by raw features. It is observed that the overall dimension is reduced by using the bag-of-feature method while achieving a classification accuracy of 96.20% on the balanced dataset collected from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Furthermore, the localization performance of the proposed model was evaluated on 342 images, which include both train and test segments. The model achieved superior performance compared to other standalone and hybrid DNN and handcrafted models reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental damage has been of much concern, particularly in coastal areas and the oceans, given climate change and the drastic effects of pollution and extreme climate events. Our present-day analytical capabilities, along with advancements in information acquisition techniques such as remote sensing, can be utilised for the management and study of coral reef ecosystems. In this paper, we present Reef-Insight, an unsupervised machine learning framework that features advanced clustering methods and remote sensing for reef habitat mapping. Our framework compares different clustering methods for reef habitat mapping using remote sensing data. We evaluate four major clustering approaches based on qualitative and visual assessments which include k-means, hierarchical clustering, Gaussian mixture model, and density-based clustering. We utilise remote sensing data featuring the One Tree Island reef in Australia's Southern Great Barrier Reef. Our results indicate that clustering methods using remote sensing data can well identify benthic and geomorphic clusters in reefs when compared with other studies. Our results indicate that Reef-Insight can generate detailed reef habitat maps outlining distinct reef habitats and has the potential to enable further insights for reef restoration projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale illegal fishing commenced in Australian coastal reefs 1970. Since, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has been "out of synch" with matching its Tier 2 constabulary vessels to their mission. The pattern is that "mission goalposts" shift post-acquisition, reflecting changes to UNCLOS. Post-WWII, the RAN employed wartime escorts in patrol roles, and wartime launches for littoral constabulary. The RAN has recreated this mix in the twentyfirst century. This paper traces this process and associated problems. Minimum resources are assigned to constabulary functions in peacetime, yet the units involved are arguably the most operational and politically sensitive. Vessel unsuitability has consistently meant personnel problems, over-use of constabulary vessels, and high maintenance costs. Australia's strategic situation is deteriorating towards a point where the rising risk demands mobilisation responses. This would include rapid acquisition of large numbers of Tier 2 assets to meet existing and conflict low-mix roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vietnamese 'blue boats' – small wooden‐hulled fishing boats – are now entering the territorial waters of Pacific Island countries and illegally catching high‐value species found on remote coastal reefs. Crossing several international boundaries and traversing a distance of over 5000 km, these intrusions have alarmed Oceanic countries, including Australia. Lacking administrative capacity as well as jurisdictional authority to effectively control the vast stretches of island coastlines individually, governments and intergovernmental bodies in the region have called for strengthened coordination of surveillance efforts while also pressuring Vietnam diplomatically. This paper reviews these latest developments and is the first to provide a focused assessment of the issue. Through the lens of Copenhagen School of securitisation theory, we analyse responses of national and regional actors and their portrayal in online media to understand how blue boats are constructed as a security threat within a narrative of maritime, food and human security. Arguably, Australia together with the Forum Fisheries Agency, who advise on the governance of offshore tuna resources, have so far acted most decisively – in a way that might see them extend their strategic role in the region. We propose a comprehensive empirical research agenda to better understand and manage this nascent, flammable and largely unpredictable inter‐regional phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• River plumes are a source of pollutants in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. • Plume dispersion is simulated using a coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian-ocean model. • Lagrangian particle density is computed from application of Voronoi diagrams. • Lagrangian particle densities and Eulerian tracer concentrations are comparable. • Lagrangian model is validated using satellite imagery and satellite Chlorophyll-a. In this paper, we describe methods to verify the adequacy and accuracy of Lagrangian particles from a Lagrangian model to reproduce the concentrations of a passive tracer from an Eulerian-model in river plumes. The modelling simulates plumes from two major rivers discharging in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, under real-world scenarios. The study has been a part of a major project to aid in the protection of the GBR system from the impacts of extreme events and climate change. We employ the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) activated with its built-in Lagrangian model, and forced with wind fields from global models and recorded river volume discharges. The ROMS-Lagrangian model tracks the Lagrangian particles using the spatially interpolated velocities computed on the Eulerian ROMS three-dimensional (3D) grid. The Lagrangian particles are released in the river in proportion to the measured river volume flux. We apply a novel technique that exploits Voronoi polygon areas to convert Lagrangian particle separation into a concentration field. This facilitates comparison with the passive tracer concentrations driven by the Eulerian velocities computed on the ROMS 3D grid. We evaluate the fate of Lagrangian particles activated on a 4-km grid resolution with those of equivalent Eulerian tracer concentrations. For validation, we compare the Lagrangian particles with the Eulerian passive tracer simulated using a higher model grid resolution of 500-m, and found that the computed Lagrangian particle concentrations showed similar overall patterns compared to the passive tracer concentrations from both the coarse 4-km, and high-resolution 500-m Eulerian models. The spatial extent of the particles was in better agreement with the coarse 4-km model than with the higher resolution 500-m model. The clustering of particles resulted in structures at finer scales than the Eulerian model, over the high particle density areas that compared well against observations. The Lagrangian particles are able to capture the general river plume patterns seen in the satellite MODIS images and the satellite derived Chlorophyll-a. We further compare the online ROMS model with an offline particle tracker, OceanPARCELS and determined the similarity of results from both online and offline methods. Overall, our study demonstrates the viability to use Lagrangian particles to reproduce the Eulerian tracer properties, which can be combined with particle properties include tracer age providing to enhance the guidance on the distribution and concentration of effluent from localised flooding river events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtropical reefs provide an important habitat for flora and fauna, and proper monitoring is required for conservation. Monitoring these exposed and submerged reefs is challenging and available resources are limited. Citizen science is increasing in momentum, as an applied research tool and in the variety of monitoring approaches adopted. This paper aims to demonstrate an ecological assessment and mapping approach that incorporates both top-down (volunteer marine scientists) and bottom-up (divers/community) engagement aspects of citizen science, applied at a subtropical reef at Point Lookout, Southeast Queensland, Australia. Marine scientists trained fifty citizen scientists in survey techniques that included mapping of habitat features, recording of substrate, fish and invertebrate composition, and quantifying impacts (e.g., occurrence of substrate damage, presence of litter). In 2014 these volunteers conducted four seasonal surveys along semi-permanent transects, at five sites, across three reefs. The project presented is a model on how citizen science can be conducted in a marine environment through collaboration of volunteer researchers, non-researchers and local marine authorities. Significant differences in coral and algal cover were observed among the three sites, while fluctuations in algal cover were also observed seasonally. Differences in fish assemblages were apparent among sites and seasons, with subtropical fish groups observed more commonly in colder seasons. The least physical damage occurred in the most exposed sites (Flat Rock) within the highly protected marine park zones. The broad range of data collected through this top-down/bottom-up approach to citizen science exemplifies the projects’ value and application for identifying ecosystem trends or patterns. The results of the project support natural resource and marine park management, providing a valuable contribution to existing scientific knowledge and the conservation of local reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gnathia antennacrassa sp. nov. from seagrass beds off Rottnest Island, Western Australia is the first record of any gnathiid from the entirety of Western Australia; the male can be distinguished from congeners by the stout peduncular articles of the antenna. Gnathia taurus sp. nov. is described from two adult specimens reared from praniza larvae found infecting elasmobranch fishes at Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef; the males can be distinguished from all congeners by the dorsally strongly elongate mandibles and smoothly rounded mediofrontal process on the anterior part of cephalosome. Gnathia aff. maculosa Ota & Hirose, 2009 is recorded from Australia, together with further records of G. trimaculata Coetzee, Smit, Grutter & Davies, 2009 and G. grandilaris Coetzee, Smit, Grutter & Davies, 2008, all from elasmobranch fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated reproductive behavior and sexual patterns in two odacid fish—Rainbow cale Heteroscarus acroptilus and Herring cale Olisthops cyanomelas—inhabiting temperate reefs in Australia on the basis of underwater observations and histological studies. The males of both species established a territory and continuously courted females they encountered in the territory. The males and females went up in the water column to release gametes in pairs. We found ovarian cavities in the gonadal tissue of H. acroptilus males, suggesting that protogynous sex change occurred in this species. Dichromatism is reported in O. cyanomelas, with males having a dark blue body color while females have a brown body color; however, we found small mature males also included among brown individuals. Furthermore, we diagnosed O. cyanomelas with gonochorism, which is rare in closely related labrids. We compared the similarities and differences in reproductive behavior and sexual patterns between the two species and with labrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a workshop conducted in Australia in 2010, entitled 'Management, Conservation, and Scientific Challenges on Subtropical Reefs under Climate Change'. The workshop brought together 26 experts actively involved in the science and management of subtropical reefs. Its primary aim was to identify the areas of research that need to be most urgently addressed to improve the decision-making framework for managers of subtropical reefs. The main findings of the workshop were a sustainable subtropical reefs declaration that highlights seven research priorities for subtropical reefs. These are to (i) conduct research and management activities across local government, state and bioregion borders; (ii) understand natural variability of environmental conditions; (iii) quantify socio-economic factors and ecosystem services; (iv) benchmark cross-realm connectivity; (v) know marine population connectivity; (vi) habitat mapping and ecological research; and (v) determine refugia. These findings are hoped to form a basis for focussing research efforts, leveraging funds and assisting managers with allocation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the role of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sirius on a research cruise to survey drowned reefs along the shelf edge of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The primary function of the AUV was to provide georeferenced, high-resolution optical validation of seabed interpretations based on acoustic data. We describe the AUV capabilities and its operation in the context of the multiple systems used in the cruise. The data processing pipeline involved in generating simultaneous localization and mapping–based navigation, large-scale, three-dimensional visualizations, and automated classification of survey data is briefly described. We also present preliminary results illustrating the type of data products possible with our system and how they can inform the science driving the cruise. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prerequisite for meaningful environmental legislation is that it he based upon an adequate scientific understanding of the natural system to which It is applied. In 2003, the Australian Commonwealth and Queensland State governments introduced a Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. which aimed to "improve" water quality in river catchments adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GRR) and in nearby coastal waters. The Plan was introduced in the absence of any substantive evidence for regional degradation of GRR water quality. This paper reviews the available data regarding nutrient contents En the Tully River, north Queensland, which is cited as the best (available) evidence for human-related changes in nutrient export from (GBR) catchment [1]. It is shown that the claim of human-related nutrient enrichment in the Tully River, and regionally, is without substance. No detectable trends in GBR water quality have occurred since systematic measurements were first started in the 1980s. Environmental policies that are based on mischievous claims of chimerical damage to the Great Barrier Reef damage the reputation of science as a tool for disinterested analysis, and provoke widespread cynicism in the community regarding the integrity of contemporary environmental politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex color patterning is a characteristic feature of dwarf minke whales (DMWs; Balaenoptera acutorostrata) which has been used to photographically identify (photo‐ID) individuals and to research an aggregation on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). DMW color patterns have been described and applied in various studies, but a detailed and systematic analysis of their complexity is yet to be performed. Here, we applied a novel categorization tool to assess the variation, asymmetry, and association of several DMW color pattern elements, subelements, and their character states. Proportions, hierarchical clustering, and multiple correspondence analysis revealed a high level of asymmetric color pattern variation, with white markings dominant and associated on the right of the body. Our results will improve the citizen science driven photo‐ID of this little‐known cetacean as labor‐intensive manual methods transition to more efficient automated approaches. Such advancement will be challenging, yet beneficial for broader research into the poorly understood areas of DMW life history, evolution, genetics, social structure, and feeding. This could also potentially allow investigation into the functional significance of their color patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate reefs are at the forefront of warming-induced community alterations resulting from poleward range shifts. This tropicalisation is exemplified and amplified by tropical species' invasions of temperate herbivory functions. However, whether other temperate ecosystem functions are similarly invaded by tropical species, and by what drivers, remains unclear. We examine tropicalisation footprints in nine reef fish functional groups using trait-based analyses and biomass of 550 fish species across tropical to temperate gradients in Japan and Australia. We discover that functional niches in transitional communities are asynchronously invaded by tropical species, but with congruent invasion schedules for functional groups across the two hemispheres. These differences in functional group tropicalisation point to habitat availability as a key determinant of multi-species range shifts, as in the majority of functional groups tropical and temperate species share functional niche space in suitable habitat. Competition among species from different thermal guilds played little part in limiting tropicalisation, rather available functional space occupied by temperate species indicates that tropical species can invade. Characterising these drivers of reef tropicalisation is pivotal to understanding, predicting, and managing marine community transformation. This study examines how the tropicalisation of shallow reefs changes functional niches for fishes in Japan and Australia. They discover that functional niches in tropical-temperate transitional communities are asynchronously invaded by tropical species, mediated more by habitat availability than competition with resident temperate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The short spined crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster brevispinus inhabits deeper water soft bottom habitats, in contrast to the more infamous Indo-Pacific Acanthaster species complex of which population outbreaks have been responsible for widespread coral mortality throughout the Indo-West Pacific region. Acanthaster brevispinus has not previously been regarded as a threat to corals or coral reefs. Here, we report A. brevispinus occurring on mesophotic off-reef or inter-reef habitats in 20–70-m depths dominated by solitary corals off both the western and eastern coasts of Australia. On Ningaloo Reef, A. brevispinus were found on mushroom coral (Cycloseris distorta) beds using an underwater towed camera and further exploration using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) confirmed predation by A. brevispinus on C. distorta. On the southern Great Barrier Reef, A. brevispinus in large numbers were found in habitat dominated by the dendrophylliid Heteropsammia cf. cochlea. Predation on H. cf. cochlea was also directly observed. This is the first confirmed report of predation on hard corals by A. brevispinus, and while there are yet to be any records of population outbreaks of this species, such outbreaks could have a significant effect on mesophotic solitary coral assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reef Check Australia (RCA) has collected data on benthic composition and cover at > 70 sites along > 1000 km of Australia's Queensland coast from 2002 to 2015. This paper quantifies the accuracy, precision and power of RCA benthic composition data, to guide its application and interpretation. A simulation study established that the inherent accuracy of the Reef Check point sampling protocol is high (<± 7% error absolute), in the range of estimates of benthic cover from 1% to 50%. A field study at three reef sites indicated that, despite minor observer- and deployment-related biases, the protocol does reliably document moderate ecological changes in coral communities. The error analyses were then used to guide the interpretation of inter-annual variability and long term trends at three study sites in RCA's major 2002–2015 data series for the Queensland coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosols deposited into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) contain iron (Fe) and other trace metals, which may act as micronutrients or as toxins to this sensitive marine ecosystem. In this paper, we quantified the atmospheric deposition of Fe and investigated aerosol sources in Mission Beach (Queensland) next to the GBR. Leaching experiments were applied to distinguish pools of Fe with regard to its solubility. The labile Fe concentration in aerosols was 2.3–10.6 ng m−3, which is equivalent to 4.9%–11.4% of total Fe and was linked to combustion and biomass burning processes, while total Fe was dominated by crustal sources. A one-day precipitation event provided more soluble iron than the average dry deposition flux, 0.165 and 0.143 μmol m−2 day−1, respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy indicated that alumina-silicates were the main carriers of total Fe and samples affected by combustion emissions were accompanied by regular round-shaped carbonaceous particulates. Collected aerosols contained significant amounts of Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn, which were mostly (47.5%–96.7%) in the labile form. In this study, we provide the first field data on the atmospheric delivery of Fe and other trace metals to the GBR and propose that this is an important delivery mechanism to this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we describe benthic composition data derived from benthic photoquadrats collected over 41 surveys between 1962 and 2016 at four sites on Heron reef, at the southern end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, to assess change in coral composition over time. Surveys have often been annual, in a few years sub-annual, and the longest gap is six years. A subset of the data from two sites with the most complete records has been fully processed to allow the size of all individual colonies, and changes in species composition and cover, to be tracked over time. The taxonomy in these quadrats has been carefully checked for internal consistency, and is generally at the species level. A second subset has been processed, but has not been through full quality control, while a third subset exists as images only. This is the longest, 56 years, regular photographic record of coral cover in existence, and provides a valuable temporal contrast dating back in time to more recent studies of greater geographic extent and/or resolution. Measurement(s) coral community composition • Coral colony area • Coral colony perimeter Technology Type(s) still camera (film and digital) Sample Characteristic - Organism Anthozoa Sample Characteristic - Environment Coral reef Sample Characteristic - Location Australia • Heron Island [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Catch-per-unit-effort at a spearfishing competition in North Queensland, Australia was 1.25 fish per hour. Citizen scientists reported 358 sharks comprising of 10 species/groups, with 3.11 sharks observed per hour. Twelve percent of all sharks sighted in this study were regarded as potentially dangerous to humans. This is the first scientific study of shark depredation for spearfishing. C. amblyrhynchos were primarily responsible for depredation, with 5.9% of speared fish taken. Sixty percent of interviewees perceived that shark numbers have increased in the past 10 years. We developed and applied a method to quantify spearfisher effort and catch, shark interactions and shark depredation in a boat-based recreational spearfishing competition in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Queensland. Survey questions were designed to collect targeted quantitative data whilst minimising the survey burden of spearfishers. We provide the first known scientific study of shark depredation during a recreational spearfishing competition and the first scientific study of shark depredation in the Great Barrier Reef region. During the two-day spearfishing competition, nine vessels with a total of 33 spearfishers reported a catch of 144 fish for 115 h of effort (1.25 fish per hour). A subset of the catch comprised nine eligible species under competition rules, of which 47 pelagic fish were weighed. The largest fish captured was a 34.4 kg Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus). The most common species captured and weighed was Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson). The total weight of eligible fish was 332 kg and the average weight of each fish was 7.1 kg. During the two-day event, spearfishers functioned as citizen scientists and counted 358 sharks (115 h effort), averaging 3.11 sharks per hour. Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) comprised 64% of sightings. Nine speared fish were fully depredated by sharks as spearfishers attempted to retrieve their catch, which equates to a depredation rate of 5.9%. The depredated fish included four pelagic fish and five reef fish. The shark species responsible were Grey Reef Shark (C. amblyrhynchos) (66%), Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) (11%), Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus) (11%) and Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) (11%). There were spatial differences in fish catch, shark sightings and rates of depredation. We developed a report card that compared average catch of fish, sightings of sharks per hour and depredation rate by survey area, which assists recreational fishers and marine park managers to assess spatio-temporal changes. The participating spearfishers can be regarded as experienced (average 18 days a year for average 13.4 years). Sixty percent of interviewees perceived that shark numbers have increased in the past 10 years, 33% indicated no change and 7% indicated shark numbers had decreased. Total fuel use of all vessels was 2819 L and was equivalent to 6.48 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for the competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time series data are often observed in ecological monitoring. Frequently, such data exhibit nonlinear trends over time potentially due to complex relationships between observed and auxiliary variables, and there may also be sudden declines over time due to major disturbances. This poses substantial challenges for modeling such data and also for adaptive monitoring. To address this, we propose methods for finding adaptive designs for monitoring in such settings. This work is motivated by a monitoring program that has been established at Scott Reef; a coral reef off the Western coast of Australia. Data collected for monitoring the health of Scott Reef are considered, and semiparametric and interrupted time series modeling approaches are adopted to describe how these data vary over time. New methods are then proposed that enable adaptive monitoring designs to be found based on such modeling approaches. These methods are then applied to find future monitoring designs at Scott Reef where it was found that future information gain is expected to be similar across a variety of different sites, suggesting that no particular location needs to be prioritized at Scott Reef for the next monitoring phase. In addition, it was found that omitting some sampling sites/reef locations was possible without substantial loss in expected information gain, depending upon the disturbances that were observed. The resulting adaptive designs are used to form recommendations for future monitoring in this region, and for reefs where changes in the current monitoring practices are being sought. As the methods used and developed throughout this study are generic in nature, this research has the potential to improve ecological monitoring more broadly where complex data are being collected over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinct absorption peaks, with maxima at around 328 nm and a shoulder at 360 nm, were observed in the UV region of the absorption spectra for both the particulate and dissolved fractions of water samples collected in Keppel Bay (NE Australia) during the presence of sporadic Trichodesmium colonies. The largest absorption coefficients for these peaks were observed in samples collected in the near-surface waters (top 2–3 cm). Values approximately 3.5–6 times greater for aCDOM(328) and 13–36 times greater for ap(328) were observed in the near-surface samples compared to those collected from the top 20 cm of the water column at the same sites. Similar UV-absorption peaks observed in other studies have been attributed to the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Increased UV absorption can affect both the magnitude of the absorption coefficients in the blue end of the visible region and the spectral slope of the exponential model commonly used to describe the CDOM absorption coefficient. This, in turn, can significantly affect the accuracy of satellite retrieved estimates of ocean colour products related to CDOM and particulate absorption coefficients. In tropical waters where Trichodesmium blooms are prevalent, regional ocean colour algorithms need to be developed using in situ bio-optical measurements from both the UV and visible regions of the spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of pro-environmental tourist behaviours (PEB) frequently relies on self-reported measures of intentions and/or attitudes. Issues with these approaches are reviewed and compared with quasi-experimental field studies that measure actual behaviour and are higher in external validity. The research note argues for an expansion of these studies' contexts, the interventions used in experimental conditions and types of PEB measured as outcome variables. By way of example, a small between-subject quasi-experiment is presented, using an innovative virtual reality game developed by the author to encourage tourists' connection with Australia's Great Barrier Reef.Passengers were presented with the game and a control condition (a VR video) on alternate days. The recorded behaviour was their selection of a thank you gift from the options, including one target PEB (conservation donations). The aim of this research note is prompt greater consideration of how we might measure actual PEBs in (eco)tourism studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of ecological communities is rapidly changing across the globe due to climate‐mediated shifts in species distributions, with novel ecosystem states emerging as new species become dominant. While it is clear that such changes restructure habitat properties and their associated assemblages, how new nutritional resources and consumers may affect the ecosystem trophic structure and energetic dynamics remains poorly resolved.Here, we investigate how the reconfiguration of tropicalized reefs—that is, temperate ecosystems receiving an influx of tropical species—affects the availability of nutritional resources and energy flow through herbivore‐based trophic pathways. To do so, we quantified changes in algal and detrital resources along a tropicalization gradient in eastern Australia. We also estimated energy flow towards herbivorous fishes by quantifying their standing biomass (kg/ha), productivity (kg ha−1 day−1), and biomass turnover (% day−1), using an individual‐level modelling approach that combines estimates of fish growth rates and mortality.Along the gradient, tropicalized reefs had relatively higher amounts of palatable algal turfs and detrital particulates compared to non‐tropicalized sites. Feeding intensity by herbivorous fishes was also c. 400 times higher on tropicalized reefs, with tropical turf‐cropping surgeon fishes being responsible for >98% of the feeding rates.Turf‐driven trophic pathways underpinned virtual all (>99%) of the biomass produced by tropical fishes, which contributed up to 63% of the total herbivorous fish standing biomass and 86% of the productivity despite only representing 35% of the abundance. Turfs also fuelled most of the secondary productivity of tropical fishes on tropicalized reefs across Australia's western tropical–temperate transition zone, although their overall productivity was ~5 times lower. This is possibly due to turfs there containing elevated sediment loads, which dilute the nutritional quality of turf‐based resources, as well as other differences in the biogeographical context.We propose that algal turfs are central drivers of ecosystem energetic shifts on temperate reefs as they become tropicalized because they support novel algal and detrital trophic pathways that enhance secondary productivity and biomass turnover. Our results also suggest that turf characteristics such as organic content or sediment load may emerge as increasingly important drivers of energy flow in temperate locations where turfs dominate benthic cover. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-purpose Artificial Reefs (MPARs) are structures that may provide aesthetically acceptable coastal protection and improve recreational outcomes. Twenty years after construction of the first MPAR, Narrowneck Reef on the Gold Coast of Australia, most of the available literature is still focused on the planning, design and construction of such structures and peer-reviewed publications on their post-construction monitoring, interaction with sediment transport and impacts on coastal morphology are lacking. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how does Narrowneck Reef influence the sediment transport, and morphological changes around the anthropogenic structure, two decades after construction. To do so, a combination of ten high spatial resolution topo-bathymetric surveys from the top of the dune to the 10 m depth captured over 21 months and a series of 60 simulations using a calibrated numerical model were used. Our results demonstrate that: although not expected during design or reported in similar structures, sand can bypass the MPAR around its offshore end; under oblique waves, the longshore currents are deflected as they pass the reef, resulting in a shadow zone on the downdrift side where sand deposits; the bar crest tends to be higher on the reef's updrift side compared to downdrift, indicating that the MPAR can act as a store for sediments, as initially designed. Furthermore, the MPAR can act to stabilise the bar as it moves onshore with a downdrift offset of the inner bar as a result of low oblique wave incidence. The results presented here demonstrate that the short-term response to the MPAR twenty years after construction is more closely related to the updrift build up of sand and the deflection of longshore currents as they encounter the reef than to the dissipation of wave energy. This is because MPARs are designed to dissipate just enough wave energy so that they can achieve their recreational goal (surfing). • Beach morphodynamic state and tide level influence sediment transport pathways. • Sand bypassing occurs mainly inshore of the structure. • Under large oblique waves, sand bypass can occur offshore of the structure. • Deflection of longshore currents influence morphological response to the reef. • Bar crest is usually higher on the reef's updrift side compared to downdrift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many coastal and marine ecosystems around the world are under increasing threat from a range of anthropogenic influences. The management of these threats continues to present ongoing challenges, with many ecosystems increasingly requiring active restoration to support or re-establish the ecosystem's biological, cultural, social and economic values. The current condition of Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its threats, including water quality, climate change and the loss of wetlands, causing the continuing decline in the GBR's ecological condition and function, has received global attention. Activities aimed at halting these declines and system restoration have been underway for over forty years. These activities are challenging to implement, and much has been learnt from their various outcomes. This paper considers the GBR and the associated management activities as a case study for regional scale catchment to reef management. It summarises the management approaches to date, describing the key role that science, policy and community have played in underpinning various investments. Four criteria for success are proposed: the lead role of the community, the need for a systems approach, the need for targeted, cost-effective and sustainable long-term investment, and importantly, building knowledge and maintaining consensus and political commitment. • Activities have intended to halt the decline and restore values of the GBR for decades. • The history of GBR catchment to reef provides a foundation for learning. • Criteria for success are identified to improve the condition and resilience of the GBR. • Integrated socio-ecological approaches will facilitate successful management. • Community leadership, long-term commitment and a solid knowledge base are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Sediment accumulation rate is a frequently required parameter in environmental and management studies, in particular near coral reefs where sediment accumulation can potentially cause severe impact. However, opportunities to obtain accurate sediment accumulation measurements are often limited by a lack of adequate instrumentation, in particular for high temporal resolution monitoring. For instance the traditional use of sediment traps, as the most widespread technique, offers poor temporal resolution (commonly of weeks) besides having significant hydrodynamic shortcomings. Therefore, a new optical backscatter sediment accumulation sensor (SAS) was developed to continuously measure in situ short-term sediment accumulation in sensitive riverine and coastal environments, enabling high temporal and vertical resolution (order of 1h and with a deposited thickness resolution in the order of 20μm respectively). This allows investigations of various parameters that influence accumulation: tides, current, waves, rain, or anthropogenic activity such as sediment dumping. This paper briefly describes the SAS and presents three field applications on nearshore coral reefs at Ishigaki Island (Japan), Lihir Island (Papua New Guinea), and Magnetic Island (Australia). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in north eastern Australia spans 2500 km of coastline and covers an area of ~ 350,000 km2. It includes one of the world's largest seagrass resources. To provide a foundation to monitor, establish trends and manage the protection of seagrass meadows in the GBRWHA we quantified potential seagrass community extent using six random forest models that include environmental data and seagrass sampling history. We identified 88,331 km2 of potential seagrass habitat in intertidal and subtidal areas: 1111 km2 in estuaries, 16,276 km2 in coastal areas, and 70,934 km2 in reef areas. Thirty-six seagrass community types were defined by species assemblages within these habitat types using multivariate regression tree models. We show that the structure, location and distribution of the seagrass communities is the result of complex environmental interactions. These environmental conditions include depth, tidal exposure, latitude, current speed, benthic light, proportion of mud in the sediment, water type, water temperature, salinity, and wind speed. Our analysis will underpin spatial planning, can be used in the design of monitoring programs to represent the diversity of seagrass communities and will facilitate our understanding of environmental risk to these habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reef monitoring programmes often focus on limited sites, predominantly on reef slope areas, which do not capture compositional variability across zones. This study assessed spatial and temporal changes in hard coral cover at four hierarchical spatial scales. ~ 55,000, geo-referenced photoquadrats were collected annually from 2002 to 2018 and analysed using artificial intelligence for 31 sites across reef flat and reef slope zones on Heron Reef, Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Trends in hard coral cover were examined at three spatial scales: (1) "reef scale", all data; (2) "geomorphic zone scale"—north/south reef slope, inner/outer reef flat; and (3) "site scale"—31 sites. Coral cover trajectories were also examined at: (4) "sub-site scale"—sub-division of sites into 567 sub-sites, to estimate variability in coral cover trajectories via spatial statistical modelling. At reef scale coral cover increased over time to 25.6 ± 0.4 SE % in 2018 but did not recover following disturbances caused by disease (2004–2008), cyclonic conditions (2009) or severe storms (2015) to the observed pre-disturbance level (44.0 ± 0.7 SE %) seen in 2004. At geomorphic zone scale, the reef slope had significantly higher coral cover than the reef flat. Trends of decline and increase were visible in the slope zones, and the southern slope recovered to pre-decline levels. Variable coral cover trends were visible at site scale. Furthermore, sub-site spatial modelling captured eight years of coral recovery that occurred at different times and magnitudes across the four geomorphic zones, effectively estimating variability in the trajectory of the reef's coral community. Derived spatial predictions for the entire reef show patchy coral recovery, particularly on the southern slope, and that recovery hotspots are distributed across the reef. These findings suggest that to fully understand and interpret coral decline or recovery on a reef, more accurate assessment can be achieved by examining sites distributed within different geomorphic zones to capture variation in exposure, depth and consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in Queensland, Australia contains globally significant seagrasses supporting key ecosystem services, including habitat and food for threatened populations of dugong and turtle. We compiled 35 years of data in a spatial database, including 81,387 data points with georeferenced seagrass and species presence/absence, depth, dominant sediment type, and collection date. We include data collected under commercial contract that have not been publicly available. Twelve seagrass species were recorded. The deepest seagrass was found at 76 m. Seagrass meadows are at risk from anthropogenic, climate and weather processes. Our database is a valuable resource that provides coastal managers and the global marine community with a long‐term spatial resource describing seagrass populations from the mid‐1980s against which to benchmark change. We address the data issues involved in hindcasting over 30 years to ensure confidence in the accuracy and reliability of data included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As marine heatwaves increasingly threaten coral reefs worldwide, some extreme reef environments naturally expose corals to high-temperature fluctuations and can therefore provide important insights into the mechanisms underlying coral heat tolerance. Coral reefs in the Kimberley region in northwest Australia experience the world's largest tropical tides and are therefore exposed to highly fluctuating temperatures in the intertidal. In contrast, the subtidal remains mostly submerged, resulting in moderate daily temperature fluctuations. A marine heatwave in 2016 triggered wide-spread bleaching in the Kimberley. Intertidal corals bleached less and recovered faster than adjacent subtidal corals; however, the mechanisms underlying this differential bleaching and recovery response remain poorly understood. Here we assessed both host- and symbiont-based indicators of bleaching resilience in the coral Acropora aspera. We tagged visibly healthy and bleached colonies from both environments in April 2016 and measured symbiont community composition, cell density, chlorophyll a, total biomass and host tissue energy reserves (lipids, protein and carbohydrates) during bleaching in April and in November 2016. Bleaching severity was higher in the subtidal than in intertidal, and while Cladocopium dominated all corals, symbiont community compositions differed significantly between environments and between bleached and healthy subtidal corals. Interestingly, bleaching resilience seemed decoupled from energy reserves, even though high levels of energy reserves and/or sufficient consumption during bleaching are widely thought to increase resistance to and recovery from bleaching. Although all bleached/recovered corals showed a general pattern of catabolizing protein reserves, distinct environment-specific trends were observed: subtidal corals that suffered extensive mortality also catabolized energy-poor carbohydrate reserves. In contrast, intertidal corals recovered rapidly after bleaching and maintained energy reserves. Total biomass remained unchanged between bleached and healthy corals in both environments. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that the consumption of energy reserves during bleaching is not always a reliable indicator of bleaching resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) is reported to have exceptional reproductive capacity, but this has been largely inferred based on the overall weight of gonads (and mostly for females), and there are limited estimates of the concentration of gametes within gametogenic tissues. This study quantified gamete concentrations for both male and female Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris), collected on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2014–2019. Gamete concentrations varied greatly among female starfish (12,338–133,810 oocytes g−1), such that the estimated reproductive capacity ranged from < 1000 oocytes for the smallest (141 mm) individual up to 106 million oocytes for a 480-mm diameter female. Gamete concentrations were much more conserved for male starfish, and did not vary with size. Nonetheless, the total mass of gametogenic tissue increased with size, and fecundity of large males > 400-mm diameter approached 53 billion sperm. This study reaffirms that crown-of-thorns starfish have exceptional reproductive capacity, which is strongly size-dependent, but also varies greatly among individuals. Importantly, individual variation in reproductive output may be important in understanding for population irruptions of Acanthaster spp., and their concomitant effects on reef ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream water quality is highly variable both across space and time. Water quality monitoring programmes have collected a large amount of data that provide a good basis for investigating the key drivers of spatial and temporal variability. Event-based water quality monitoring data in the Great Barrier Reef catchments in northern Australia provide an opportunity to further our understanding of water quality dynamics in subtropical and tropical regions. This study investigated nine water quality constituents, including sediments, nutrients and salinity, with the aim of (1) identifying the influential environmental drivers of temporal variation in flow event concentrations and (2) developing a modelling framework to predict the temporal variation in water quality at multiple sites simultaneously. This study used a hierarchical Bayesian model averaging framework to explore the relationship between event concentration and catchment-scale environmental variables (e.g. runoff, rainfall and groundcover conditions). Key factors affecting the temporal changes in water quality varied among constituent concentrations and between catchments. Catchment rainfall and runoff affected in-stream particulate constituents, while catchment wetness and vegetation cover had more impact on dissolved nutrient concentration and salinity. In addition, in large dry catchments, antecedent catchment soil moisture and vegetation had a large influence on dissolved nutrients, which highlights the important effect of catchment hydrological connectivity on pollutant mobilisation and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A risk analysis was undertaken to assess the biosecurity risks involved with recycling mollusc shell waste for restoration of shellfish reefs in Australia. The hazard identification stage identified 20 diseases and 14 groups of marine pests upon which detailed risk assessment was undertaken. The qualitative risk assessment process involved release, exposure and consequence assessment, to arrive at an unmitigated risk estimation as well as risk estimates for several shell treatments, including 3, 4 or 6 months desiccation in sunlight, exposure to hot water at 55°C for 10 min or 80°C for 5 min, bathing in freshwater for > 24 h or in vinegar (4% acetic acid) for 30 min. The effectiveness of these treatments as risk management options were then compared to inform development of protocols for biosecure treatment of mollusc shells. The appropriate level of protection (ALOP) was expressed in qualitative terms as 'very low', representing an annual probability between 1 in 20 and 1 in 100 years. The outcomes from the risk analysis indicated that heating recycled mollusc shells in water at 80°C for > 5 min would meet the ALOP for all pests and diseases of concern. This method has limited throughput, however, and thus may be useful only for pilot scale restoration projects. Desiccation of mollusc shells in sunlight for 4 months at > 20°C was also within the ALOP for all hazards examined. However, if ambient weather conditions at the recycling facility prevent the shell pile drying out or exceeding 20°C for several months of the year, extending the desiccation period to 6 months with at least one shell turnover is recommended to provide sufficient safety margin to ensure the ALOP is met. Desiccation of mollusc shells can be undertaken at vast scales at minimal cost, and thus appears suitable for shellfish restoration at environmentally meaningful scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protecting headwater streams is essential to minimise downstream sediment loads to rivers, estuaries, and oceans. This study analyses the gully and sheet erosion risk from a 33,000 ha agricultural development proposal in the Normanby catchment draining to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Lagoon, Australia. The slope‐area threshold for channel initiation was assessed for existing gully channel head locations using satellite images and a hydrologically enforced digital elevation model (SRTM). Thresholds were used to predict whether other stream lines (1:25k scale) were prone to gully incision under development. Results indicated that 430 km out of 1,200 km of streams were at risk of gullying, which could increase erosion by 2‐times, delivering 7,500 t yr−1 locally and 1,700 t yr−1 (worth A$1.8 million) to the GBR. Sheet erosion under agriculture is estimated (RUSLE) to increase by 13‐times from 0.12 to 1.5 t ha−1 yr−1, with 2,200 t yr−1 to streams and 900 t yr−1 (worth A$1 million) to the GBR. Buffering (±50 m) 560 km of headwater streams would cover 5,600 ha or 17% of the area. Precision agriculture using higher resolution topographic data (LiDAR) and improved slope‐area thresholds for gully erosion should be a minimum prerequisite for development, which would reduce but not eliminate increased sediment loads to the GBR. Forest clearance for agriculture is ongoing in Australia, but this first‐world country does not have effective policies or regulations to protect headwater streams or cumulative impacts to the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef, despite millions of dollars spent annually to reduce past land degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the impact of environmental processes on vertical reef development in geological time is a very challenging task. pyReef-Core is a deterministic carbonate stratigraphic forward model designed to simulate the key biological and environmental processes that determine vertical reef accretion and assemblage changes in fossil reef drill cores. We present a Bayesian framework called Bayesreef for the estimation and uncertainty quantification of parameters in pyReef-Core that represent environmental conditions affecting the growth of coral assemblages in geological timescales. Weencounter multimodal posterior distributions and investigate the challenges of sampling using Markov chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) methods, which includes parallel tempering MCMC. We use a synthetic reef-core to investigate fundamental issues and then apply the methodology to a selected reef-core from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The results show that Bayesreef accurately estimates and provides uncertainty quantification of the selected parameters that represent environment and ecological conditions in pyReef-Core. Bayesreef provides insights into the complex posterior distributions of the parameters in pyReef-Core , which provides the groundwork for future research in this area. • Estimating the impact of environmental processes on vertical reef development in geological time is a very challenging task. • pyReef-Core is a deterministic carbonate stratigraphic forward model designed to simulate the key biological and environmental processes. • This paper presents Bayesreef for the estimation and uncertainty quantification of parameters in pyReef-Core. • The results show that Bayesreef accurately estimates and provides uncertainty quantification for parameters in pyReef-Core. • Bayesreef provides insights in of pyReef-Core and establishes the groundwork for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread coral bleaching across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in 2016 is often reportedly caused by El Niño and/or global warming. However, the GBR is not in a region where it is straightforward to anticipate sea surface temperature (SST) warming during El Niño, and the role of climate change is unclear. This study uses a diverse range of observations to investigate the physical causes of SST anomalies that developed on the GBR in 2016. Warm SST anomalies developed in two stages. Initial warming was caused by El Niño shifting the global‐scale pattern of convection, increasing solar radiation in the Coral Sea. The warm anomaly was extended and amplified near the coast by a terrestrial heat wave propagating across eastern Australia, further warming the GBR through turbulent heat flux. It is concluded that El Niño caused the SST anomaly, and global warming increased its amplitude and extended it by several months. Key Points: A quantitative heat budget analysis of the 2016 marine heat wave in the Great Barrier Reef lights a path to large‐scale climate processesThe waning El Niño of 2015/2016 warmed regional seas with solar radiation; a terrestrial heat wave in Australia intensified coastal warmingLong‐term trends in marine and terrestrial records clarify role of global warming, widespread coral mortality in 2016 unlikely without it [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative governance has been widely adopted since the early 2000s to manage complex natural resource issues, such as water quality and land degradation. Most research has focused on the main features and potential benefits of collaborative governance. However, few studies have studied how collaboration facilitates (or limits) implementation of natural resource planning policies, such as water planning. Studying how collaborative governance works during implementation sheds light on how the environmental outcomes are achieved. This research uses the Great Barrier Reef as large case study of water quality, which was implemented through six regional collaborative governance efforts. The Reef is one of the most important marine ecosystems of Australia. Water quality remains one of the main threats to the Reef's environmental health and resilience. Since the beginning of the 21st century, collaborative governance approaches have been adopted in the Reef's water quality planning to improve water quality conditions. Drawing on document analysis and semistructured interviews with key stakeholders, the study shows how nested collaborative governance arrangements operated in the achievement of environmental outcomes. Although the nested regional level of collaboration proved to be a useful spatial scale at facilitating reductions of land‐based runoff, the environmental outcomes achieved were moderate due to collaborative issues with state and federal levels, the powerful actors of the collaborative arrangements. This suggests the importance of improving collaborative processes within the nested governance approach (i.e., deliberation between the main actors on the policy instruments or collaborative "tools" for plan implementation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) transport by rivers is an important control on the pH and carbonate chemistry of the coastal ocean. Here, we combine DIC and total alkalinity (TAlk) concentrations from four tropical rivers of the Great Barrier Reef region in Australia with daily river discharge to quantify annual river loads and export rates. DIC in the four rivers ranged from 284 to 2,639 μmol kg−1 and TAlk ranged from 220 to 2,612 μmol kg−1. DIC:TAlk ratios were mostly greater than one suggesting elevated exports of free [CO2*]. This was pronounced in the Johnstone and Herbert rivers of the tropical wet north. The largest annual loads were transported in the two large river catchments of the southern Great Barrier Reef region, the Fitzroy and Burdekin rivers. The carbon stable isotopic composition of DIC suggests that carbonate weathering was the dominant source of DIC in the southern rivers, and silicate weathering was likely a source of DIC in the northern Wet Tropics rivers. Annual loads and export rates were strongly driven by precipitation and discharge patterns, the occurrence of tropical cyclones, and associated flooding events, as well as distinct seasonal dry and wet periods. As such, short‐lived hydrological events and long‐term (seasonal and inter‐annual) variation of DIC and TAlk that are pronounced in rivers of the tropical and subtropical wet and dry climate zone should be accounted for when assessing inorganic carbon loads to the coastal ocean and the potential to buffer against or accelerate ocean acidification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corals live in close association with a diverse community of eukaryotes, bacteria, archaea and viruses that, together with the coral host, form the coral holobiont. Fungi are an important component of the coral holobiont; however, knowledge about their taxonomic diversity and the ecological functions these organisms play in reef corals is still scarce. In this study, we used metabarcoding to characterize the fungal community inhabiting the skeleton of eleven coral genera, as well as samples of crustose coralline algae, from Australia and Papua New Guinea. Most of the 24 distinct fungal genera identified were assigned to the phylum Ascomycota, followed by Basidiomycota. Lulworthia and Lulwoana (Ascomycota) were the most abundant and prevalent genera detected in our study. Besides these widely distributed genera, others never associated with corals or marine environments before, such as Geranomyces (Chytriomycota), Flammulina (Basidiomycota) and Ophiosphaerella (Ascomycota), were also detected. The predicted functional groups give insights into potential lifestyles and ecological functions of the fungal community in reef ecosystems. This study provides important observational data on a group of holobiont members that has received little attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a major land management challenge globally and a particularly important issue in dry tropical savanna rangelands tributary to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. This study investigated linkages between hillslope hydrological connectivity pathways and gully geomorphic change in the Burdekin River Basin. High‐resolution (0.1 m) topographic and land cover data derived from low‐cost aerial (via unmanned aircraft system) structure‐from‐motion with multiview stereo photogrammetry (SfM) were used to map fine‐scale connectivity patterns and quantify headcut retreat at the hillslope scale (~150,000 m2). Very high resolution (0.01 m) topographic models derived from ground‐based (via handheld digital camera) SfM were used to quantify the morphology and geomorphic change of several gully arms (300–700 m2) between 2016 and 2018. Median linear, areal, and volumetric headcut (n = 21) retreat rates were 0.2 m, 0.8 m2, and 0.3 m3 yr−1, respectively. At all study sites, the points where modelled hydrological flow lines intersected gullies corresponded to observed geomorphic change, enabling spatially explicit identification of gully extension pathways as a result of overland flow. Application of an index of connectivity demarcated parts of the hillslope most connected to the gully network. Bare areas, roads, and cattle trails were identified as important runoff source areas and hydrological conduits driving gully extension. Ground‐based SfM accurately reconstructed complex morphologic features including undercuts, overhangs, rills, and flutes, providing insights into within‐channel erosion processes. This study contributes to an improved understanding and modelling of hydrogeomorphic drivers of gully erosion in degraded savanna rangelands, ultimately benefiting gully management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian records of the New World Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) are reviewed, with emphasis on the first, a specimen in the South Australian Museum collected on the south Great Barrier Reef in 1910, and previously identified as a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa). The data indicate that Hudsonian Godwits migrate to Australia in very small numbers with some regularity. A possible path of southward migration is discussed, as well as apparent preferences for association with other species of godwits over-wintering in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous peoples in Australia, and globally, are situated in an unusual context of both significant vulnerability and unique resilience to climate change which influence their perceptions of climate risk and uncertainty. Their vulnerability to climate change arises in part from their contexts of living in many of the harshest and isolated environments. Their resilience originates from their accumulated knowledge of specific environments over millennia, mediated through sui generis cultural institutions. Our results illustrate that indigenous groups primarily perceive uncertainties related to volition of actors and institutions. When they are involved in climate adaptation planning in ways that mobilise their cultural institutions and knowledge, they can safely manage these uncertainties through their agency to determine and control key risks. We demonstrate that climate justice approaches can be strengthened for indigenous peoples by applying a linked vulnerability-resilience analytical framework. This enables stronger consideration of how unique cultural institutions and knowledge, which are not available to all vulnerable groups, affect indigenous perceptions of uncertainty in climate adaptation planning. We use this analytical approach in a case study with Yuibera and Koinmerburra Traditional Owner groups within the Great Barrier Reef Catchment. We conclude that a specific focus on sui generis indigenous knowledge and cultural institutions as a source of resilience can strengthen climate justice approaches and work more effectively with indigenous peoples in climate change contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seascape context of coastal ecosystems plays a pivotal role in shaping patterns in fish recruitment, abundance, and diversity. It might also be a principal determinant in structuring the recruitment of fish assemblages to restored habitats, but the trajectories of these relationships require further testing. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages from 14 restored oyster reefs and 14 control sites in the Noosa River, Queensland, Australia, that differed in the presence or absence of seagrass within 500 m, over four periods using baited cameras. Fish assemblages at oyster reefs differed from those at control sites, with higher species richness (1.4 times) and more individuals of taxa that are harvested by fishers (1.8 times). The presence or absence of seagrass nearby affected the abundance of a key harvestable fish species (yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis) on oyster reefs, but not the overall composition of fish assemblages, species richness, or the total abundance of harvestable fishes overall. These findings highlight the importance of considering species-specific patterns in seascape utilization when selecting restoration sites and setting restoration goals, and suggest that the effects of restoration on fish assemblages might be optimized by focusing efforts in prime positions in coastal seascapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine reserve networks must ensure the representation of important conservation features, and also guarantee the persistence of key populations. For many species, designing reserve networks is complicated by the absence or limited availability of spatial and life-history data. This is particularly true for data on larval dispersal, which has only recently become available. However, systematic conservation planning methods currently incorporate demographic processes through unsatisfactory surrogates. There are therefore two key challenges to designing marine reserve networks that achieve feature representation and demographic persistence constraints. First, constructing a method that efficiently incorporates persistence as well as complementary feature representation. Second, incorporating persistence using a mechanistic description of population viability, rather than a proxy such as size or distance. Here we construct a novel systematic conservation planning method that addresses both challenges, and parameterise it to design a hypothetical marine reserve network for fringing coral reefs in the Keppel Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. For this application, we describe how demographic persistence goals can be constructed for an important reef fish species in the region, the bar-cheeked trout (Plectropomus maculatus). We compare reserve networks that are optimally designed for either feature representation or demographic persistence, with a reserve network that achieves both goals simultaneously. As well as being practically applicable, our analyses also provide general insights into marine reserve planning for both representation and demographic persistence. First, persistence constraints for dispersive organisms are likely to be much harder to achieve than representation targets, due to their greater complexity. Second, persistence and representation constraints pull the reserve network design process in divergent directions, making it difficult to efficiently achieve both constraints. Although our method can be readily applied to the data-rich Keppel Islands case study, we finally consider the factors that limit the method’s utility in information-poor contexts common in marine conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on octocorals in north-west Australia. It mentions the biodiversity survey of the Western Australian Museum (WAM) in the Sahul Shelf Bioregion which covers subtidal communities of reef. An overview of preserved tissue DNA extraction through Phenol/Chloroform method is also presented.