Abstract Summary
Coral reef restoration is gaining considerable momentum globally in response to the threat of climate change and associated coral bleaching. In Australia, as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), a range of interventions are currently being investigated to help the Great Barrier Reef resist, repair and recover from climate change. RRAP interventions will be implemented in a complex regulatory environment, comprising multiple pieces of legislation and associated government agencies at federal and state levels. Such a regulatory environment is likely to be critical in determining the feasibility and viability of restoration interventions on the Great Barrier Reef. Drawing on document analysis, case studies and expert elicitation, this study investigates the regulatory implications of RRAP interventions. This includes mapping the existing regulations relating to proposed restoration interventions on the Great Barrier Reef, examining situations where these regulations may support and/or constrain implementation and long-term monitoring and evaluation of interventions, and identifying practical measures to enable the regulatory environment to effectively address restoration interventions – including those based on novel technologies (e.g., synthetic biology and assisted gene flow). Ultimately, this study provides important insights into the role of regulation in enabling effective large-scale reef restoration. These may prove useful to other jurisdictions, where reef restoration has become an imperative under a fast-changing climate.
