The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Case Study "The National assessment of shallow reefs". The full Case Study, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Case Study are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FOCUS OF THE CASE STUDY
Shallow rocky and coral reef biodiversity (<25 m depth) around Australia’s coasts and at offshore islands and reef systems. This assessment is based on the recent Australia-wide rollout of Reef Life Survey monitoring methodology (data available at http://reeflifesurvey.imas.utas.edu.au), which includes consideration of reef fishes, large mobile invertebrates such as sea urchins, crown of thorns, lobsters and abalone, and habitat-forming seaweeds and corals.
PRESSURES/ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE
Pressures from recreational and commercial fisheries are of particular importance to larger fish species and lobsters, while ocean warming is having widespread impacts on the composition of communities in temperate zones. The marine heatwave in WA has had a particularly large impact on shallow water reef biodiversity in WA since SoE 2011, with widespread coral bleaching in the northwest and loss of kelp habitats and changing fish communities in the southwest. Cyclones and storms have also had substantial impacts on coral communities at Ningaloo Reef and parts of the GBR. Inner Great Barrier Reef coral structures have been adversely affected by siltation and nutrification.
DATA STREAM(S) USED IN CASE STUDY
Reef Life Survey visual census data were used for the current status assessment, with extensive spatial coverage of sites around the continent. Temporal trend information came from a combination of RLS, LTTRMP and AIMS long-term GBR monitoring datasets at 16 particular locations (MPA locations include the broader region and sites inside and outside sanctuary zones):
NSW: Batemans Marine Park, Jervis Bay Marine Park, Sydney, Lord Howe Island, Port Stephens
VIC: Beware Reef, Port Phillip Heads
SA: Encounter Bay (Fleurieu Peninsula)
WA: Rottnest Island, Jurien Marine Park, Ningaloo Marine Park
QLD: Capricorn-Bunker, Southern GBR, Central GBR, Northern GBR
TAS: Maria Island
