NESP TWQ Hub

Over the last six years the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program has been front and centre in helping provide the best available and technology to support and protect the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.
Discover how advanced 3D modelling by the NESP TWQ Hub predicts that upwellings of cool water on the Great Barrier Reef can protect corals from the temperature stress that causes mass bleaching events: https://fal.cn/3hu13

📷 Neal Cantin

A recently published TWQ Hub report highlights potential for growers to use a newly-developed insurance product as a way to reduce fertilizer runoff on the Great Barrier Reef:

“We have shown that insuring against the risk of sugarcane yield loss with reduced N fertiliser applications is technically feasible. Further, we have shown that it can be implemented in a way that overcomes many of the problems that have plagued traditional crop insurance. The prototype product has received support from international re/insurance companies, and sugarcane farmers and the institutions that support them. If widely adopted, it could facilitate substantial reductions in DIN discharged from GBR catchments.”

Direct Link to report:

nesptropical.edu.au

Project 25 has gained some traction lately with more Russell/Mulgrave landholders coming on board with practice change to reduce fertilizer runoff to the Great Barrier Reef.

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said giving growers access to real time data had helped to build trust and provide confidence when making on-farm decisions that support the environment.

“This is an example of farmers and scientists working closely together to improve ecosystem health, ensuring farmers are fully informed and can have faith in the data they are receiving,” Minister Ley said.

“...Protecting our waterways means cleaner rivers, larger fish stocks, resilient marine life, healthier coral and stronger coastal tourism. To do this we need to work closely with growers and maintain their trust. The project has partnered with local farmers to design the program and carry out the research."

See the full media release via link below

https://nesptropical.edu.au/index.php/2020/09/27/joint-media-release-sweet-victory-for-sugarcane-growers/

📸Stephen Calcagno with one of the nitrate measuring sensors used in the project

Our Great Barrier Reef Long-Term Monitoring team have found numbers of coral trout continue to climb in ‘no take’ marine reserves, also known as ‘Green Zones’.

Released yesterday, our latest Annual Summary Report on the condition of reefs shows coral trout numbers in Green Zones are now almost double those on reefs open to fishing.

Valuable to recreational and commercial fishers, coral trout numbers have been climbing since 2004, when the number of Green Zones was increased to 33% of the Marine Park.

Learn more in the report: https://bit.ly/31gxqBy

📸: F. Kroon

Have your say on plans to protect the Great Barrier Reef for the next 30 years.

The Queensland and Australian governments are reviewing the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan to ensure that it continues to focus on the right priorities and actions to support the health and resilience of the Reef.

The draft updated Reef 2050 Plan includes a greater emphasis on climate change and its impact on the Reef. It also seeks to empower communities to take stronger action to protect the Reef.
The governments are working with local governments, industry, scientists, Traditional Owners, farmers and the community to deliver on the priorities for the Reef.

The Reef is under significant pressure but with strong local, national and global action to address the greatest threats, it can be sustained as a living natural and cultural wonder of the world.
Have your say on the draft updated Reef 2050 Plan by 30 September 2020.

https://haveyoursay.awe.gov.au/reef-2050-plan

Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan review The Australian and Queensland governments are reviewing the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, also known as the Reef 2050 Plan. This plan is Australia’s long-term strategy to protect and manage the Great Barrier Reef. The plan sets clear actions, management goals, objectives and outcomes. T...

The July edition of our Hub e-newsletter, “View on TWQ”, is online now. Read it now at the link below.

https://nesptropical.edu.au/index.php/news-events/e-newsletters-2/july-2020/

Very strong motivation for local-scale reef stewardship

Traditional Owners, citizen scientists and major reef tourism operators are motivated to restore and maintain coral ecosystems at their own sites, not just for economic or cultural reasons but also out of a real desire to improve the health of their patch of the Great Barrier Reef. These are the findings of a number of recent Tropical Water Quality Hub research projects, which looked at the attitudes of both Indigenous and tourism stakeholders in terms of engagement in reef restoration and tourism activities. While acknowledging that slowing climate change is essential for the reef’s ongoing health, major tourism operators feel responsibility to be good stewards, and Traditional Owners have cultural responsibilities to look after their sea country. These findings are being used by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to guide investment in a new wave of locally-driven Great Barrier Reef restoration efforts.

Check out the findings in the reports linked below:
http://bit.ly/2Su1VNZ
https://bit.ly/2CLnia9

Photo: Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel

A new report on designing an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program for the Great Barrier Reef has been released by NESP TWQ Hub.

"Monitoring of aesthetic values can potentially serve as a proxy for reef health monitoring in places where scientific ecological monitoring is not feasible or too expensive. Additional opportunities and benefits offered by ALTMP include greater engagement between Reef managers, scientists, citizen scientists, and the wider community in initiatives to restore and maintain aesthetic and other values of important habitats and places throughout the GBR World Heritage Area."

Final Report
https://bit.ly/3eWfNuo

Virtual Conference Presentation - Design of an Aesthetics Long-Term Monitoring Program for the Great Barrier Reef
https://bit.ly/3jviNRA

Project 5.6 Homepage
https://nesptropical.edu.au/index.php/round-5-projects/project-5-6/

Photo Credit: Matt Curnock

Contracts worth $28.6 million have been awarded to help win the race against coral-eating Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) on the Great Barrier Reef. Find out more via the link below.

https://nesptropical.edu.au/index.php/2020/07/15/joint-media-release-crown-of-thorns-starfish-control-secured/