Risks & Threats to the Ecosystem
Maintaining the health and integrity of the Tropical North’s reef and rainforest ecosystems is not only extremely important to maintaining the ongoing economic, social and environmental well-being of the region, but also to the $2.2 billion nature-based tourism industry that relies on a healthy environment for tours and activities.
There are many threats facing the marine, rainforest and catchment areas, but scientists recognise climate change and invasive pests as two of the worst, due to the broad-scale impacts and potential irreversible damage they can cause.
There are three main areas of research:
Program 5i – Marine
Program 5ii – Rainforests & Catchments
Program 6 – Invasive Pests
Read the Fact Sheet.
You can read the factsheet online or download PDF (194kb)
What Research is being done?
Studies into the Risk and Threats facing our ecosystem focus on three projects:
| Project No. |
Project Name |
Main Objectives |
Research Providers |
| Project 5i |
Climate Change: Great Barrier Reef |
To identify specific information gaps of direct relevance and importance to users of the Great Barrier Reef and management agencies. To model possible futures for the GBR for forecasted climate variations; To create an early warning and assessment system; To evaluate of the resilience of coral reef ecosystems to climate change; To create a set of tools for management to help manage climate change impacts. |
CSIRO
AIMS
UQ
JCU
CQU
|
| Project 5ii |
Climate Change: Rainforest and Catchments |
To identify potential climate change impacts on n North Queensland’s tropical forests, To determine management options for how to mitigate negative impacts. To develop a way to identification risks and threats posed by climate change To determine resilience or lack of resilience of different terrestrial ecosystems |
CSIRO
JCU |
| Project 6 |
Understanding Threats and Impacts of Invasive Pests on Ecosystems |
To identify current and potential risks of invasive marine species in the GBR. To identify knowledge gaps and critical research needs To identify mitigation measures to control invasive pests. |
JCU
CSIRO
DPI&F
FNQ
NRM
|
Acronyms: AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science), ANU (Australian National University), CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation), DPI&F (Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries), GU (Griffith University), JCU (James Cook University), UNSW @ ADFA (University of New South Wales Australian Defence Force Academy), UQ (University of Queensland)