Conservation and Environment
Book Details

The Great Barrier Reef

Finding the Right Balance

David Lawrence, Richard Kenchington and Simon Woodley

An important book arguing that an integrated management policy is vital to the survival of the dynamic, diverse and vulnerable environment of the Great Barrier Reef.

Opinion

‘. . . an impressive study.’ (Australian, 4/9/02)

‘It is a delight to read, providing a wealth of historical facts, events, and insights, and should be read by everyone with an interest in the Great Barrier Reef.’ (Book Reviews, June 2003)

About this Title

The Great Barrier Reef is an icon of natural wonders and a tourist drawcard. It is protected and managed as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park—the world’s largest marine park and the first marine-based World Heritage area. Unique in size, structure and operations, the marine park is of national and international importance.

The management system is evolving from a model focused on coral reefs to one based on a better understanding of marine ecosystems and the complex relationships between sea and land. Until now, this system has been little analysed and not well understood.

The authors trace the marine park from its establishment during the environmental activism of the 1960s and 1970s through its recognition as a World Heritage site to the current operations of the Marine Park Authority. They discuss the crown-of-thorns starfish controversy, the Port Hinchinbrook development, the Nelly Bay marina off Townsville, the failure of the Floating Hotel and exploding tourism development.

Growth of tourism, industrial development, native title claims, expansion of the fishing and sugarcane industries, and declining water quality—all these issues demand immediate attention. As this important book vigorously argues, an integrated management policy is vital to the survival of the dynamic, diverse and vulnerable environment of the Great Barrier Reef.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction

A Framework for Conservation
1 The Living Reef
2 Establishing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Strategies for Management
3 Managing a Dynamic Environment
4 Understanding a Diverse Environment
5 Protecting a Vulnerable Environment

The Way Forward
6 Critical Issues
7 Future Directions

Postscript
References
Index

About the Author

David Lawrence, an anthropologist, has managed environmental projects with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Richard Kenchington, a marine scientist, and Simon Woodley, a geographer, were instrumental in establishing the current GBRMP zoning and management system. Both have considerable experience with coral reef management projects in Asia and the Pacific.

Book Preview

978-0-522-84992-9