Plenary 3

The Great Barrier Reef is among the most well-known and loved world heritage areas. Like all of the world's coral reef ecosystems the future of the Great Barrier Reef is increasingly being influenced by climate change pressures. Established in 1975 and inscribed as a world heritage area in 1981, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is managed to protect the Reef for future generations. To achieve this goal Reef managers are increasingly looking to new interventions to amplify long-term actions such as marine park zoning compliance and water quality improvement identified in the joint Australian and Queensland Government Reef 2050 Plan. The Reef Authority's Blueprint 2030 identifies the key climate resilience and adaptation goals that are required to improve the Reef's future. Blueprint 2030 is based on our understanding of climate and other risks to the ecological, social, economic and cultural values of the Reef, that are evaluated in the five yearly Outlook reports. The intention of Blueprint 2030 is to empower and focus all of the Reef's constituents on the key actions that can be taken at local, regional, national and global scales. This plenary presentation will summarise the journey to Blueprint 2030 and how it can help guide actions to protect this iconic place for the benefit of all as the climate changes.