Anthropogenic influences on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Although legislation has been introduced to allow stricter control of activities within the Great Barrier Reef region, paradoxically there are increasing pressures due to greater use of the Reef, and population expansion and economic development on the adjacent mainland. In addition, greater understanding of the functioning of the reef system has allowed for recognition of more subtle anthropogenic effects on the Reef. On the outer Reef some localised degradation may result from intense use, accidents or from pre‐legislation activities. Runoff from the mainland has the potential to introduce increased turbidity levels, reduced salinities and some chemical pollutants particularly on nearshore reefs and in the Cairns region. Through global scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation the Great Barrier Reef is open to more distant sources of perturbation.