Scientific Consensus Statement

Project summary: The Scientific Consensus Statement brings together the latest scientific evidence about how activities on land can impact water quality on the GBR. C2O Consulting has been appointed to lead and coordinate the 2023 SCS.

Russell-Mulgrave Reef Trust Partnership Water Quality Program

Project summary: Coordinate a collaborative project that aims to address dissolved inorganic nitrogen in this sugarcane catchment, in partnership with the Program Manager – RRRC 

 

COTS Control Program

Project summary: Coordinate the Great Barrier Reef crown-of-thorns starfish control program with operational partners – INLOC – and Program Manager – RRRC

Koinmerburra Ridge to Reef

Project summary: The Ridge to Reef Alliance is a multi-disciplinary group of western scientists and Traditional Owners working together to demonstrate how whole-of-ecosystem restoration and caring for Country can come together to achieve First Nations People’s aspirations for Healthy Land and Sea Country and Healthy People.

NESP Synthesis Project

Project summary: Project to bring together the key findings and management applications from all of the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub research projects into a series of synthesis reports and case studies.

Great Barrier Reef Wetland Synthesis

Project summary: Develop a robust scientific consensus on the role of wetlands in nutrient (N) removal in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef.

Burdekin Major Integrated Project: Landholders Driving Change

Project summary: Coordinated the design of a major integrated project for reducing sediment runoff from the Bowen Broken Bogie catchments in the Burdekin Region in collaboration with a wide range of delivery partners. Ongoing role in technical input, water quality reporting and synthesis of water quality outcomes.

Characterising the connectivity between marine values in the northeast Australian seascape and the Pacific region

Project summary: Mapped values in the northeast Australian seascape and adjacent Pacific waters to characterise the processes and attributes that influence these values and their connectivity at a regional scale. The project delivered a resource that can be used to inform cross-jurisdictional planning and management.

Water Quality Improvements Plans for Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Catchments

Project summary: C2O Consulting responsible for overall coordination of the development and update of the Wet Tropics and Burdekin Water Quality Improvement Plans to identify water quality issues and management options for meeting regional water quality targets.

Led the preparation of several supporting scientific studies for the Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions to inform the plan development, including current status and values of coastal and marine assets, development of ecologically relevant pollutant load reduction targets, and assessment of the relative risk of degraded water quality on Great Barrier Reef ecosystems.

Integrating climate change into marine environmental assessment policies

Project summary: Identify key climate change issues for marine protected area impact assessments and incorporate into assessment policies, guidelines and procedures.

Torres Strait climate change initiatives

Project summary: Development of a five-year Torres Strait Climate Change Strategy (2014-2018) that includes a community adaptation and resilience plan; as well as the Torres Strait Response Strategy, a complementary management initiative with direct actions to address reef impacts such as coral bleaching, extreme flooding, disease and pest events.

Climate change impacts on fisheries resources of northern Australia

Project summary: Identification of potential impacts of climate change on northern Australian fisheries and adaptation for management.

Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Research Coordination

Project summary: Managed and facilitated the design, conduct and delivery of GBR water quality and Torres Strait research on behalf of the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue Program and the National Environmental Research Program.

Great Barrier Reef resilience

Project summary: Informed resilience-based management of the Great Barrier Reef through mapping of coral reef resilience in the Keppel Bay region.

Coral reef health and impact survey training

Project summary: Developed a training package (curriculum) for ranger and community monitoring of coral reef health and impact surveys.