Reef Futures Roundtables
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water engaged the Academy to convene a series of roundtables to support the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel in its role of advising government.
Completed
Project at a glance
- The Australian Academy of Science convened groups of experts during March to May 2023 to assess the likely outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in three climate scenarios to provide advice to the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) for the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan).
- The project report finds that if current greenhouse gas emissions trajectories are not reduced, and the planet therefore continues to warm, the species, habitats and ecosystems that make up the GBR will fundamentally change.
- Efforts and resources have been put into the research and management of the GBR, but as we accept our national responsibility to care for this global icon, there is more that can be done, and needs to be done.
- Currently, there is no single known intervention, operating holistically and at-scale, for a sustainable and resilient GBR. There are, however, opportunities to align research and management efforts to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water engaged the Australian Academy of Science (the Academy) to convene a series of roundtables that will support the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel in its role of advising government.
Throughout three roundtables, cross-disciplinary scientists, specialists and Traditional Owners discussed the latest evidence around pressures on reef species, habitats and ecosystems (both terrestrial and marine), key gaps in knowledge, and potential responses—including new and emerging technologies—in the context of future climate storylines.
