❓ The Minister for Environment provides an update on a $12 million study, funded in part by Gorgon project offsets, to research the impact of sea temperature variations on coral reefs in the Pilbara region, conducted in partnership with CSIRO and UWA.
AnsweredQoN 292Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORAL REEFS — SEA TEMPERATURE RESEARCH
292. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Environment:
I understand that the Liberal–National government is
playing a significant role in supporting research by the University of Western
Australia and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
into the effect of sea temperature variations and impacts on our world-renowned
coral reefs. Can the minister please update the house on this important work?
292. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Environment:
I understand that the Liberal–National government is
playing a significant role in supporting research by the University of Western
Australia and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
into the effect of sea temperature variations and impacts on our world-renowned
coral reefs. Can the minister please update the house on this important work?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bateman for
the question. It is a timely question given the media interest over the past
few months in recent effects on our coral reefs, particularly in and around the
Pilbara region. Indeed, with increasing temperature and sea level anomalies,
which have occurred particularly since 1980, we have been seeing some impacts
in those areas. To ensure that as a government we have a greater understanding
of what those impacts are and how they are likely to play out over that area,
the state government is partnering with the CSIRO and the University of Western
Australia to undertake a survey of the whole marine ecosystem across the
Pilbara—approximately 300 kilometres of coastline. This will be a $12 million
study, $7 million of which will be funded by the Pilbara marine conservation
partnership. The $12 million study is the partnership, and $7 million will be
funded through offsets directly from the Gorgon project. Further contributions
will also come from the CSIRO and the University of Western Australia.
This five-year study is the first
phase of long-term monitoring of the coral reef ecosystems across that area,
longitudinally being approximately 300 kilometres of Pilbara coastline,
including a range of islands through that area. Surveying this area is very
important because it will help inform decision-making around conservation
planning for the future, because where we have seen incidences, there have been
wide variations in impacts, sometimes within a fairly small geographical
region. Sometimes we will see bleaching in one area but a few bays over we will
not, and sometimes we see recovery times are quite accelerated in one area and
yet slower in another area.
This survey will assess the
condition of habitats and species, such as corals and fish, and will also
assess the threats to those habitats and species. This study is designed to
complement the existing Department of Parks and Wildlife marine parks and
reserves monitoring programs. It is a fantastic use of offset money, and, as I
said, $7 million out of the $12 million is coming directly out of the Gorgon
offset fund; it is a very good example of where the state, when it can manage
to attract significant resource projects—none more significant than
Gorgon—can actually facilitate fantastic environmental outcomes, giving
in this instance $7 million to go directly into studies of coral reef
ecosystems in the immediate area of Barrow Island.
Understanding the variability of
responses of corals to temperature changes is going to be very important in
managing our coral reefs into the future, particularly as temperature anomalies
are projected to increase in both severity and intensity in the future. The
Department of Parks and Wildlife's Western Australian marine monitoring
program will continue to monitor biodiversity assets such as coral communities
and the pressures that affect them across its network of marine parks in order
to inform and enable adaptive management.
the question. It is a timely question given the media interest over the past
few months in recent effects on our coral reefs, particularly in and around the
Pilbara region. Indeed, with increasing temperature and sea level anomalies,
which have occurred particularly since 1980, we have been seeing some impacts
in those areas. To ensure that as a government we have a greater understanding
of what those impacts are and how they are likely to play out over that area,
the state government is partnering with the CSIRO and the University of Western
Australia to undertake a survey of the whole marine ecosystem across the
Pilbara—approximately 300 kilometres of coastline. This will be a $12 million
study, $7 million of which will be funded by the Pilbara marine conservation
partnership. The $12 million study is the partnership, and $7 million will be
funded through offsets directly from the Gorgon project. Further contributions
will also come from the CSIRO and the University of Western Australia.
This five-year study is the first
phase of long-term monitoring of the coral reef ecosystems across that area,
longitudinally being approximately 300 kilometres of Pilbara coastline,
including a range of islands through that area. Surveying this area is very
important because it will help inform decision-making around conservation
planning for the future, because where we have seen incidences, there have been
wide variations in impacts, sometimes within a fairly small geographical
region. Sometimes we will see bleaching in one area but a few bays over we will
not, and sometimes we see recovery times are quite accelerated in one area and
yet slower in another area.
This survey will assess the
condition of habitats and species, such as corals and fish, and will also
assess the threats to those habitats and species. This study is designed to
complement the existing Department of Parks and Wildlife marine parks and
reserves monitoring programs. It is a fantastic use of offset money, and, as I
said, $7 million out of the $12 million is coming directly out of the Gorgon
offset fund; it is a very good example of where the state, when it can manage
to attract significant resource projects—none more significant than
Gorgon—can actually facilitate fantastic environmental outcomes, giving
in this instance $7 million to go directly into studies of coral reef
ecosystems in the immediate area of Barrow Island.
Understanding the variability of
responses of corals to temperature changes is going to be very important in
managing our coral reefs into the future, particularly as temperature anomalies
are projected to increase in both severity and intensity in the future. The
Department of Parks and Wildlife's Western Australian marine monitoring
program will continue to monitor biodiversity assets such as coral communities
and the pressures that affect them across its network of marine parks in order
to inform and enable adaptive management.
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