Priority species to support the functional integrity of coral reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focussed on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef and whether management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

Chapter 5 Priority Species to Support the Functional Integrity of Coral Reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focused on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef, and whether or not management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa, but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

Land-sea connectivity, ecohydrology and holistic\ud management of the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments:\ud time for a change

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is an iconic and highly valued ecosystem in Queensland, Australia that is recognised internationally for its natural and cultural values. The coastal and marine ecosystems of the GBR are interconnected with the adjacent catchment area through hydrological connections. However, many GBR ecosystems are in a poor state, driven by several factors including a highly modified catchment. Land use changes over the last 160 years have led to development of agricultural land uses, modification of the coastal floodplains and loss of freshwater wetlands, and disruption of drainage and hydrological connections. These ecohydrological changes have led to declining water quality in catchment waterways and increases in the loads of pollutants that are delivered to the GBR, which predominantly occurs in wet season rainfall events. The Australian and State governments have recognised the need to address water quality issues for the GBR through management of the catchments, however, the management strategies adopted to date are largely associated with improvement of agricultural management practices and are not likely to be enough to maintain or restore the health of the GBR ecosystems. Future management strategies need to take into the account the need to protect, maintain and restore coastal ecosystems, system functions and land-sea connectivity if the values of the GBR are to be retained in the long term

Exposure of Great Barrier Reef inner-shelf reefs to river-borne contaminants

This publication does not have an abstract. The first paragraph of the Introduction is displayed as the abstract.\ud \ud Predicting the effects of contaminant inputs on coastal marine ecosystems has become increasingly important as discharges have increased due to landuse change on watersheds. Coastal pollution from land-based sources and in particular eutrophication are now seen as the\ud principal human threat to coastal seas at a global scale (Correlli, 1998; Carpenter et ai, 1998; Nixon, 1995; Cloem, 2001). To successfully assess the threat to coastal ecosystems from land-based sources of pollution catchment budgets, which determine the relative magnitude of the various sources of contaminants, are necessary. This sort of budgeting has now been carried out in great detail in Europe, North America and the Atlantic Ocean (Howarth et al,\ud 1996; Nixon et al, 1996; De Wit, 2000; Alexander et al, 2002). A similar need is evident for the Great Barrier Reef World heritage Area and its catchment. Such a risk based approach is needed to prioritise catchment management initiatives and compare risk factors within catchments to prioritise works

Lost floodplain wetland environments and efforts to restore connectivity, habitat and water quality settings on the Great Barrier Reef

Managers are moving towards implementing large-scale coastal ecosystem restoration projects, however, many fail to achieve desired outcomes. Among the key reasons for this are a lack of integration with a whole-of-catchment approach, the scale of the project (temporal, spatial), the requirement for on-going costs for maintenance, lack of clear objectives, a focus on threats rather than services/values, funding cycles, engagement or change in stakeholders, and prioritization of project sites. Here we critically assess the outcomes of activities in three coastal wetland complexes positioned along the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon, Australia, that have been subjected to restoration investment over a number of decades. Each floodplain has been modified by intensive agricultural production, heavy industry and mining infrastructure, urban/peri urban expansion, aquaculture development and infrastructure expansion. Most development has occurred in low-lying coastal floodplains, resulting in major hydrological modifications to the landscape. This has left the floodplain wetlands in a degraded and hydrologically modified state, with poor water quality (hypoxic, eutrophication, sedimentation, and persistent turbidity), loss of habitat, and disconnected because of flow hydraulic barriers, excessive aquatic plant growth, or establishment of invasive species. Successful GBR wetland ecosystem restoration and management must first include an understanding of what constitutes ‘success' and be underpinned by understanding of complex cause and effect pathways, with a focus on management of services and values. This approach should recognize these wetlands are still assets in a modified landscape. Suitable, long term, scientific knowledge is necessary to provide government and private companies with the confidence and comfort that their investment delivers dividend (environmental) returns

Priority species to support the functional integrity of coral reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focussed on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef and whether management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

Chapter 5 Priority Species to Support the Functional Integrity of Coral Reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focused on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef, and whether or not management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa, but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning