Is a changing landscape leading to a changed Great Barrier Reef?

The Outlook for the Great Barrier Reef is not good. Over the last century much of the adjacent Great Barrier Reef catchment has been modified, and the impacts this is having on the Reef are reflected by declining water... [ view full abstract ]

The Outlook for the Great Barrier Reef is not good. Over the last century much of the adjacent Great Barrier Reef catchment has been modified, and the impacts this is having on the Reef are reflected by declining water quality. But how exactly has the catchment changed, how are we using the catchment and what do these changes really mean for the Reef?

Through spatial analysis of coastal ecosystems and land use data we can get a picture of where coastal development has impacted on the catchment and subsequently on the ecological processes it provides for the Great Barrier Reef. Through a series of case studies we explored parts of the catchment to identify what are the key issues and how are they impacting upon key ecological services?

Like the climate, impacts vary across the 344,000km2 Great Barrier Reef catchment with wide ranging changes to physical, biological and biogeochemical processes are occurring in many areas. It is now a changed landscape and the strategies we need to use to restore key processes will need to consider both the changed landscape and the receiving waters and habitats.