Hoey, A.S., McClure, E.C., Burn, D., Chandler, J.F., Huertas Martin, V., Cresswell, B., Galbraith, G., and Pratchett, M.S. (2023) Coral Sea Marine Park Coral Reef Health Survey 2022. Report. Parks Australia, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

The Coral Sea is a critically important and significant ecosystem, which (like coral reefs globally) is increasingly threatened by changing environmental conditions, particularly ocean warming. Previous surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 showed shallow reef habitats across the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP) experienced severe and widespread bleaching in early 2020, with almost two-thirds of all corals surveyed across the CSMP being bleached, and leading to a substantial (39%) decline in coral cover across the CSMP in 2021. James Cook University was commissioned by Parks Australia to assess:

(i) the latest condition of benthic, fish and invertebrate communities, (ii) any ongoing impacts of the 2020 bleaching event on benthic, fish and invertebrate communities, and

(iii) gain some understanding of the potential resilience and recovery of corals following the 2020 bleaching event. The project undertook detailed surveys of coral, fish and macro-invertebrate communities and associated reef health at fifteen CSMP reefs over two voyages in November 2021, and February-March 2022. Surveys were conducted to provide rigorous quantitative information on temporal (i.e., 2020, 2021, and 2022) and spatial (i.e., among reefs and regions) patterns in (i) cover and composition of corals and macroalgae; (ii) regional patterns of biodiversity;

(iii) coral health, injury, and recruitment; and (iv) abundance and composition of reef fishes, sea snakes, and ecologically or economically important invertebrates.

Item ID:	80447
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Keywords:	Coral reefs, Coral Sea, monitoring
Related URLs:	https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/man...
Copyright Information:	© Commonwealth of Australia 2022. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca
Funders:	Parks Australia
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2023 00:26
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 20% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410402 Environmental assessment and monitoring @ 60% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation > 410102 Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation @ 20%
SEO Codes:	18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180501 Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems @ 60% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180504 Marine biodiversity @ 40%
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