The Newman-led Liberal-National Party (LNP) government in Queensland is aiming to boost economic growth by focusing on development in four areas; agriculture, tourism, mining and residential/commercial/industrial…
Killing starfish one by one is no long-term solution.
Paul Cizek
A recent report on coral loss from the Great Barrier Reef has pointed the finger at cyclones and Crown of Thorns starfish. The real culprit is human activity, and until we reduce port activity and pollution…
The Great Barrier Reef may be huge and long-lived, but without intervention it’s in serious trouble.
Landfeldt/Flickr
John Bruno, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
There is a myth about Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, that goes like this: because it is so big, biodiverse, so well-managed and generally bloody awesome, the GBR is immune to climate change and other…
Extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Yasi, are damaging the Great Barrier Reef.
AAP
The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral cover in the last 27 years, and it could halve again by 2022 say researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. A study published today in the…
Scientists have identified skin cancer in the Great Barrier Reef’s wild fish populations which is almost identical to melanomas found in humans. The team of researchers from the Australian Institute of…
Many species of cone snail, which contain compounds needed to treat neurological diseases, still await discovery.
Flickr/Phil Camill
The planet is home to anywhere between two million and 50 million undiscovered species, many of which are at threat from rampant habitat destruction, according to a report by an international team of researchers…
Quarries and quandaries: Australia’s natural splendour is a major source of income, yet it sits uncomfortably with mining’s spread.
AAP/Fantasea Adventure Cruising
Australia has built a strong global brand based on its iconic natural beauty. For example, the new Australia Tourism campaign, “There’s nothing like Australia”, features icons like the Kimberley, Uluru…
Sanctuary: marine parks can create new ways to prevent illegal fishing.
Mia Hoogenboom, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
Environment Minister Tony Burke announced the final proposed Commonwealth marine protected area (MPA) network last month. The network would be the largest in the world, covering more than a third of Commonwealth…
A bund wall surrounds the Fishermans Landing Wharf expansion in Gladstone.
AAP/Dave Hunt
The sealing of a leak of dredge spoil (harbour-bottom scooped up and dumped in a landfill area) in a bund wall in Gladstone harbour was announced on 25th of June by the Gladstone Ports Corporation. Scientists…
The announcement of a marine park network is unlikely to calm the worries of Great Barrier Reef conservation groups.
AAP/Greenpeace
Today’s announcement of a network of marine parks for Australia is a big step forward in marine conservation. However, major threats to one iconic marine area, the Great Barrier Reef, are land-based…
Networks of nature: a potato cod with striped cleaner wrasse at Osprey Reef, an area in the expanded marine reservations announced today.
Flickr/richard ling
Today’s announcement of a national network of marine parks is really a memorable day for Australian nature conservation. The political rhetoric and self-congratulation associated with major events is often…
Minister Tony Burke is slowing down coal development in Queensland, but there’s more to it than saving turtles.
Landfeldt/Flickr
The halt in the Alpha Coal Project approval process shows the Commonwealth is taking very seriously UNESCO’s recent report threatening downgrading the status of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area…
Can a booming coal industry and a Heritage-Listed reef co-exist?
AAP/Dave Hunt
Last Friday the World Heritage Centre and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released a report on the state of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest World Heritage Property…
The Great Barrier Reef … in danger of a downgrade.
Flickr/eutrophication&hypoxia
A damning UNESCO report has criticised management of the Great Barrier Reef and warned that the area could be downgraded to a world heritage site “in danger” unless Australia makes major changes to its…
Another wave is coming: the coral-killing crown of thorns starfish.
Flickr/<SLIM>
The Great Barrier Reef is under attack from a range of enemies including climate change effects (coral bleaching, increased severe storms, and ocean acidification), pollutant discharge from the land, coastal…
How Queenslanders vote may affect parts of the Great Barrier Reef such as Heron Island.
AAP/Heron Island
Queensland is different from other states in that it only has a lower house. In other states minor parties achieve representation in upper houses — and therefore have a role in government — through proportional…
UNESCO is reviewing whether more needs to be done to preserve the reef’s heritage listing.
AAP
Obtaining a World Heritage listing for a national asset is a source of great pride for any country. The Taj Mahal (1983), Borobudur (1991) and Uluru (2007) are examples where countries have obtained the…
Internet surfers will soon be able to go below the surface to immerse themselves in the spectacular coral and marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, under a joint venture between global technology giant…