Science-based management is vital for our future ability to share and sustain the Great Barrier Reef.
The challenge
Maintaining the health of the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is a series of reefs spanning 348,000 square kilometres and stretching 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast.
Its ongoing health is under threat from pressures including:
- climate change
- declining water quality from catchment run-off
- habitat loss resulting from coastal development
- shipping and fishing.
Our response
Using science to inform decisions
Effective conservation and management of the reef depends on quality science and integrated decision-making.
Maintaining the reef's health into the future is a critical task. CSIRO researchers are collecting data about the reef's physical and biological processes and making knowledge available to a wide range of stakeholders.