Guiding principles for the improved governance of port and shipping impacts in the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region of Queensland, Australia, encompasses a complex and diverse array of tropical marine ecosystems of global significance. The region is also a World Heritage Area and largely within one of the world's best managed marine protected areas. However, a recent World Heritage Committee report drew attention to serious governance problems associated with the management of ports and shipping. We review the impacts of ports and shipping on biodiversity in the GBR, and propose a series of guiding principles to improve the current governance arrangements. Implementing these principles will increase the capacity of decision makers to minimize the impacts of ports and shipping on biodiversity, and will provide certainty and clarity to port operators and developers. A 'business as usual' approach could lead to the GBR's inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2014.
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: alana.grech@jcu.edu.au.
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Grech
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: melissa.bos@my.jcu.edu.au.
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Bos
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: jon.brodie@jcu.edu.au.
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Brodie
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: rob.coles@jcu.edu.au.
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Coles
The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia. Electronic address: allan.dale@jcu.edu.au.
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Dale
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia. Electronic address: rean.gilbert@gbrmpa.gov.au.
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Gilbert
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au.
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Hamann
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au.
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Marsh
GHD, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia. Electronic address: kerry.neil@ghd.com.
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Neil
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: bob.pressey@jcu.edu.au.
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Pressey
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: michael.rasheed@jcu.edu.au.
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Rasheed
Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. Electronic address: marcus.sheaves@jcu.edu.au.
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Sheaves
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia. Electronic address: adam.smith@gbrmpa.gov.au.
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Smith
D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D057894:Coral Reefs; D058735:Environmental Policy; D011793:Queensland; D012767:Ships
Biodiversity; Governance; Great Barrier Reef; Ports; Shipping; World Heritage