Experts Agree on Science for Reef Protection: Scientific Consensus Statement

The most comprehensive and rigorous review about the effects of land-based activities on Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem condition was released in August 2024: the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement.

The Statement brings together the latest scientific evidence to understand how land-based activities can influence water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, and how these influences can be managed.

Led by C2O Consulting and funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, the Statement involved more than 200 experts including 78 authors and 69 reviewers from Australia and overseas. The outputs are based on evidence from over 4,000 publications.

Based on the evidence, 35 scientific experts reached consensus on eight overarching conclusions, including that historical and continuing land management and catchment modification impair Great Barrier Reef water quality through extensive vegetation degradation, changed hydrology, increased erosion, and expansion of fertilised land uses, urban centres and coastal developments.

The Statement, including its detailed conclusions, is available at www.reefwqconsensus.com.au