Chapter 2: Our ocean under pressure page 39Great Barrier Reef: Boosting resilience
Over the past 30 years, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has lost
more than half of its coral cover. The Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority warns that climate change is the most serious
long-term threat to the reef (GBRMPA, 2014). Building its
resilience by reducing other pressures is an urgent priority.
More than 40 per cent of coral loss has been caused by
outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which are
fuelled by nutrient run-off from farms (De’ath et al., 2012). WWF
is working with farmers, governments and companies to cut
pollution so coral can recover.
One key initiative is Project Catalyst, which brings together
sugarcane growers, The Coca-Cola Foundation, government
agencies and WWF to test and implement new practices that
reduce run-off and erosion and improve farm productivity.
Nearly 100 Queensland farmers are involved in the project, with
impressive results. But to get the cuts to pollution necessary for
the Great Barrier Reef’s survival, this work needs to be scaled
up across all the catchments that run into the reef’s waters –
encompassing millions of hectares and thousands of farms.
In recent years, WWF has campaigned against plans for
massive new industrial developments along the reef’s coasts
which could have allowed up to 100 million tonnes of dredge
spoil to be dumped within its waters. Incredible public support
for the reef has resulted in a ban on dumping dredge spoil
from new developments in the reef’s World Heritage Site area.
Industrial development still poses many significant threats to the
reef including increasing shipping traffic, dredging and dumping
for port maintenance and coastal habitat destruction. WWF will
keep driving for change to reduce these threats to ensure the best
possible future for the reef.
© James Morgan / WWF