Research programs delivering information to Reef Plan
Research into water quality is funded by a number of dedicated programs. These programs work together to foster collaboration between researchers and develop integrated outputs that meet the needs of users. This will ensure greater benefit to reef health than if each set of activities was undertaken in isolation.
The Reef Plan Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2013-2018 (PDF, 1.22MB) provides guidance and direction for reef water quality related research, development and innovation required to inform Reef Plan 2013 implementation. It covers all biophysical and socio-economic research, development and innovation related to the effects of broadscale land use on water quality and reef health.
The strategy includes the contemporary priorities for research, development and innovation which have been identified in close consultation with Reef Plan partners. Reef Plan itself does not fund research. Rather the strategy provides a whole-of-program perspective on research priorities which can be used by the Australian and Queensland governments and other research providers to make investment decisions regarding research, development and innovation related to reef water quality improvement. Biennial reviews will be undertaken to evaluate whether the priority research questions have been answered and consider other emerging issues.
The key programs are:
- Two Australian Government programs coordinated by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre
- The Australian Government National Environmental Research Program Tropical Ecosystems Hub (Great Barrier Reef node) which aims to improve knowledge of ecosystem condition and trend, ecosystem function and cumulative pressures, and build resilient tropical ecosystems.
- The Australian Government Reef Rescue Research and Development Program which focuses on improved land management practices that improve water quality.
- The Queensland Government Reef Water Quality Science Program which has developed a suite of science projects that deliver valuable, knowledge-based and practical tools for landholders.
- The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Paddock to Reef program which measures progress towards Reef Plan’s goals and targets by integrating information on management practices, catchment indicators, catchment loads and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Great Barrier Reef Foundation which develops and coordinates a range of reef research initiatives, including the eReefs project which will produce powerful catchment to reef visualisation, communication and reporting tools.
- Rural Research and Development Corporations which provide funding to improve the productivity and sustainability of Australia's agricultural, fish and forestry industries including:
- Queensland Wetlands Program which supports projects that will result in long-term benefits to the wise use, management, conservation and protection of Queensland’s wetlands including those in catchments of the Great Barrier Reef.
The research being undertaken ranges from projects focused on one theme (land management practices, catchment indicators or water quality management) to projects that cover the full spectrum (investigating how improved land management practices affect catchments and impact on the marine environment).
Land practices
- Ecological risk assessment of water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (NERP 4.3 – scoping only) | (RP72P – implementation) (PDF, 72 KB)
- Socio-economic long term monitoring program (NERP 10.1)
- Socio-economic system and reef resilience (NERP 10.2)
- Reef Rescue projects:
- Runoff N from pasture legumes (Reef Rescue 9)
- D condition land, rehabilitation (Reef Rescue 24)
- Practices to enhance groundcover and reduce sediment loads (Reef Rescue 32)
- Normanby sediment runoff risk assessment (Reef Rescue-Brooks)
- Groundcover thresholds and baselines (Reef Rescue 27)
- Irrigation practices and pollutant loss (Reef Rescue 4)
- Legume fallows and N mineralisation (Reef Rescue 20)
- A class practices (Reef Rescue 56)
- Pesticide dynamics and management practice in cane (Reef Rescue 37) and other industries (Reef Rescue 38)
- Minimising N and P runoff from bananas (Reef Rescue 49)
- Banana modelling capacity (Reef Rescue 54)
- Validating dairy fertiliser practices (Reef Rescue 55)
- Practice adoption – cane (Reef Rescue 10)
- Management practice effectiveness – historic studies (Reef Rescue 11)
- Management practice cost effectiveness – cane nutrients (Reef Rescue 39)
- Reef Water Quality Science Program – Project summaries including (PDF, 72 KB):
- Mapping erodible soils – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP63G)
- Paddock GRASP redevelopment (RP67G)
- Enhancing FORAGE – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP68G)
- Grazing management systems report – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP69G)
- Groundcover and fire mapping in grazing lands – Reef Catchments (RP64G)
- Erosion sources and drivers in grazing lands – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP65G)
- Gully mapping and drivers in grazing lands – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP66G)
- Legumes and cane nitrogen cycle – regulated catchments (RP58C)
- Managing cane nitrogen cycle – regulated catchments (Reef P 59C)
- Extension of Burdekin irrigation trials (RP60C)
- Wet Tropics cane nutrient trials (RP61C)
- Groundwater scoping – regulated catchments (RP51C)
- Pollutant trapping in vegetated systems – regulated catchments (RP52C)
- Groundwater pollutant transport – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP53C)
- Baseline groundwater pesticide data – Burdekin Dry Tropics and Mackay Whitsunday (RP54C)
- Trends in cane pesticide use – regulated catchments (RP56C)
- Herbert water quality monitoring (RP27C)
- Mapping water quality related environmental characteristics (RP07C)
- Historical land use change and pollutant loads – regulated catchments (RP71P)
- Economics of cane pesticide management – regulated catchments (RP62C)
- Costs and benefits of improving grazing management – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP70G)
- Paddock and catchment modelling (RP73P and Paddock to Reef)
Catchment
- Ecological risk assessment of water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (NERP 4.3 – scoping only) (RP72P – implementation) (PDF, 72 KB)
- Socio-economic long term monitoring program (NERP 10.1)
- Socio-economic system and reef resilience (NERP 10.2)
- Reef Rescue projects:
- Groundcover thresholds and baselines (Reef Rescue 27)
- Pesticide dynamics and management practice in cane (Reef Rescue 37) and other industries (Reef Rescue 38)
- Biological monitoring of pesticides (Reef Rescue 58)
- Practice adoption – cane (Reef Rescue 10)
- Management practice effectiveness – historic studies (Reef Rescue 11)
- Management practice cost effectiveness – cane nutrients (Reef Rescue 39)
- Uncertainty in pollutant loads (Reef Rescue 30)
- Reef Water Quality Science Program – Project summaries including (PDF, 72 KB):
- Groundcover and fire mapping in grazing lands – Reef Catchments (RP64G)
- Erosion sources and drivers in grazing lands – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP65G)
- Gully mapping and drivers in grazing lands – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP 66G)
- Baseline groundwater pesticide data – Burdekin Dry Tropics and Mackay Whitsunday (RP54C)
- Trends in cane pesticide use – regulated catchments (RP56C)
- Alternative pesticide load data (RP57C)
- Herbert water quality monitoring (RP27C)
- Mapping water quality related environmental characteristics (RP55C)
- Historical land use change and pollutant loads – regulated catchments (RP71P)
- Economics of cane pesticide management – regulated catchments (RP62C)
- Costs and benefits of improving grazing management – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP70G)
- Paddock and catchment modelling (RP73P and Paddock to Reef)
Marine
- Ecological risk assessment of water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (NERP 4.3 – scoping only) (RP72P – implementation) (PDF, 72 KB)
- Socio-economic long term monitoring program (NERP 10.1)
- Socio-economic system and reef resilience (NERP 10.2)
- Chronic effects of pesticides (NERP 4.2)
- Historical impacts of stressors (NERP 1.3)
- Tracking coastal turbidity (NERP 4.1)
- Understanding Great Barrier Reef diversity (NERP 5.1)
- Water quality climate effects on coral and other reef organisms (NERP 5.2)
- Vulnerability of seagrass habitats to a changing environment (NERP 5.3)
- Catchment to reef visualisation, communication and reporting tools (eReefs)
- Reef Rescue projects:
- Pesticide dynamics and management practice in cane (Reef Rescue 37) and other industries (Reef Rescue 38)
- Biological monitoring of pesticides (Reef Rescue 58)
- Practice adoption – cane (Reef Rescue 10)
- Management practice effectiveness – historic studies (Reef Rescue 11)
- Management practice cost effectiveness – cane nutrients (Reef Rescue 39)
- Integrated marine water quality assessment techniques (Reef Rescue 16)
- Reef Water Quality Science Program – Project summaries including (PDF, 72 KB):
- Baseline groundwater pesticide data – Burdekin Dry Tropics and Mackay Whitsunday (RP54C)
- Trends in cane pesticide use – regulated catchments (RP56C)
- Alternative pesticide load data (RP57C)
- Herbert water quality monitoring (RP27C)
- Mapping water quality related environmental characteristics (RP55C)
- Historical land use change and pollutant loads – regulated catchments (RP71P)
- Economics of cane pesticide management – regulated catchments (RP62C)
- Costs and benefits of improving grazing management – Burdekin Dry Tropics (RP70G)
- Paddock and catchment modelling (RP73P and Paddock to Reef)