NESP MaC Project 4.24 - Towards assessing the values of reefs in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, 2024-2025 (JCU)

Research Project

Researchers: Australian Institute of Marine Science (Associated with) ,  Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) (Associated with) ,  Damien Burrows (collaborator) ,  Gemma Galbraith (collaborator) ,  Maya Srinivasan (Point of contact, principalInvestigator)
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Full description This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub project 'Towards assessing the values of reefs in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria 2024 - 2025'. For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. The Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park was only recently declared in 2013. The zoning plan for this marine park, which permits trawling within a specific trawling zone is due for renewal by 2028. There is a strong need to collect, analyse, synthesise and make publicly available information on the values and conditions of key habitats within the Marine Park, such as recently identified patch reefs and coral reefs, to contribute to this upcoming review of the management plan for this marine park. The limited scientific information that is available on the values of this marine park is hard to access and much of it has not been analysed or written up. In addition, the Traditional Owners hold much valuable information about the ecological and cultural values that should inform future park management decisions. This project aims to gather, synthesise and report on existing scientific data and information about coral and patch reefs in the marine park. This information will be presented to the Traditional Owners and other relevant stakeholders at community meetings or workshops. Documenting cultural values of the reefs in this marine park is beyond the scope of the current project and would require considerable further engagement with Traditional Owners. However, it is anticipated that presentation of existing scientific and biophysical data at community meetings will start this process. We will produce visual (e.g. photos and videos) outputs that illustrate the values of these reefs, in order to better inform stakeholders involved in decisions about future park management. Planned Outputs • Final technical report with analysed data and a summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

Notes Credit
This project was funded by the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water through the National Environmental Science Program Marine and Coastal (NESP MaC) hub with co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Data time period: 2024-02-01 to 30 06 2025

139.91216,-14.99938 140.76609,-15.01087 140.76226,-16.38557 140.60909,-16.40855 140.60909,-16.71106 139.95046,-16.69957 139.73602,-16.52726 139.7207,-16.46216 139.54838,-16.40089 139.23438,-16.50428 138.50299,-16.11752 138.49534,-15.56228 138.83231,-15.55845 139.24587,-15.9835 139.90834,-16.19794 139.91216,-14.99938

139.63071365608,-15.855219824931