Coral Sea Marine Park Coral Reef Health Survey 2022
Other Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
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.
Journal
N/A
Publication Name
N/A
Volume
N/A
ISBN/ISSN
N/A
Edition
N/A
Issue
N/A
Pages Count
122
Location
N/A
Publisher
Parks Australia
Publisher Url
N/A
Publisher Location
Townsville, QLD, Australia
Publish Date
N/A
Url
N/A
Date
N/A
EISSN
N/A
DOI
10.13140/RG.2.2.28552.60161/1