The Great Barrier Reef Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) is focused on the Inshore region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It reports on the condition of inshore water quality, coral and seagrass habitats, which support the resilience and sustainability of our coastal ecosystems and the Reef overall. The MMP informs managers and the wider community about the annual health of these ecosystems, particularly in relation to nutrients and sediments associated with land-based runoff. It provides the Reef component of the Paddock to Reef Program, and is a foundational long-term, Inshore monitoring program, established in 2005 that reports on Inshore Reef health trends. The MMP is regularly scientifically reviewed, and is coordinated and managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in partnership with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University (TropWater), and the Cape York Water Partnership.
The MMP Dashboard presents synthesised information, and results of monitoring activities such as:
- In-situ water quality: Condition and trend of inshore water quality and sampling over wet and dry seasons. Water quality condition is summarised in two separate indices:
- annual index, which reflects the current condition of water quality;
- long-term index, which measures long-term trends, and is insensitive to yearly variations in water quality.
- Coral condition: Condition and trend of inshore coral reefs are measured through assessment of coral cover, macroalgae cover, juvenile coral density, coral cover change, and coral community composition, which are summarised as the coral condition index.
- Seagrass condition: Condition and trend of inshore seagrass meadows are measured through seagrass abundance and resilience, which are summarised as the seagrass condition index.
Pesticide scores coming soon.
For further information and feedback, please feel free to contact the MMP team through science@gbrmpa.gov.au.
