Coral Bleaching Risk and Impact Assessment Plan 2011 (SUPERSEDED)

Abstract

This document has been superseded by a second edition available at http://hdl.handle.net/11017/2810. There are a multitude of threats to coral reefs, but the increased frequency and severity of coral bleaching events under a changing climate is among the most pressing. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) first developed a Coral Bleaching Response Plan (now the Risk and Impact Assessment Plan) in 2002, as part of a response to the bleaching event that occurred in the late summer (February and March) of that year. Since then, we have coordinated implementation of the Plan each summer – December to March – and reviewed and refined it annually. The Plan outlines our strategic approach for monitoring bleaching risk and assessing coral bleaching impacts when events occur. Within this document, the objectives of each of the three primary components of the Plan are outlined and described in detail.