Ports & Shipping

Many major and minor ports and marinas operate in or adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and thousands of ships traverse the waters of the World Heritage Area annually, often carrying cargoes that would threaten the environment if released in an accident. These activities are vital to the normal social and economic function of Queensland but pose potential risks to the environment.

In Australia, introduced marine organisms are threatening the ecological and economic value of our unique coastal marine ecosystems. Most Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are believed to be unintentional introductions associated with shipping and mariculture activities. The introduced Asian green mussel was discovered in Cairns during a baseline survey, and subsequent diving surveys determined the spatial extent of the infestation. Studies of the biology and ecology of the Asian green mussel have been used to develop an eradication response to the pest and have helped to determine the likelihood of its translocation during routine port activities such as dredging.

Information sheets about various marine pests may be sourced from the CSIRO’s Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP) .

Researchers of the Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (CRC Reef) in Townsville, Australia have produced a number of Technical reports about ports and shipping issues:

CRC Reef Technical Report 43 Port of Mackay seagrass, algae and macro-invertebrate communities. February 2001.

CRC Reef Technical Report 35 Sample collection methods and practical considerations for introduced species surveys at tropical ports.