Tropical Cyclone Risk and Impact Assessment Plan 2011 (SUPERSEDED)

Abstract

This document has been superseded by a second edition available at http://hdl.handle.net/11017/2813. Tropical cyclones can cause major physical damage to coral reef ecosystems. Although cyclones are natural meteorological events, severe cyclones are predicted to increase in frequency as oceans warm under a changing climate. This Cyclone Risk and Impact Assessment Plan (the Plan) was developed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in April 2011 after TC Yasi (one of the largest category 5 cyclones in Australia’s recorded history) crossed the Great Barrier Reef near Mission Beach in North Queensland. This Plan is part of the GBRMPA reef health incident management system that provides a structured framework for the management of impacts on the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The GBRMPA implements this Plan each year during the cyclone season – November to April.