In this issue I'd like to extend a
warm welcome to the Authority's new Chair, the
Hon. Virginia Chadwick. Mrs Chadwick joined the
Authority as Chair on 19 July 1999. Mrs Chadwick
replaces Dr Ian McPhail who left the Authority to
take up the position of Executive Director with the
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. A profile of
Mrs Chadwick will appear in the next issue of Reef
Management News.
To overcome the problem of each
issue looking exactly like the previous one images
will appear on the front cover which reflect the
content or major story of that particular issue.
Another new feature – a glossary – appears in this issue. As readers of
Reef Research have different backgrounds and
areas of expertise the addition of a glossary listing
the more technical terms was thought to be a useful
tool. Any feedback you have on the addition of this
glossary would be greatly appreciated, i.e. do you
find it a useful tool, should more basic terms be
included??
A wide range of topics is covered
in this edition. What's Out There? presents an update on coral bleaching on
the Great Barrier Reef. Following on with this theme,
Andrew Baird reports on an unusually large aggregation
of coral-eating snails which he observed on a reef
near Pelorus Island following the 1998 mass bleaching
event.
A summary of the Augmentative Research
Grants awarded by the
Authority for 1999 is included. This is followed by
the twenty-sixth edition of Slick Talk.
Steve Raaymakers discusses the action the World Bank
and the United Nations is taking to combat marine
pests which are carried via ships' ballast water.
Two articles which report on social
studies commissioned by the Authority also appear.
The first article describes a study which monitored
the impact aircraft sound and other human activities
had upon visitor
use and amenity at Whitehaven Bay in the Whitsunday Islands. The second
summarises the preliminary findings of a study which
looked at the social and motivational aspects of
recreational fishing in the
Great Barrier Reef Region.
COTS COMMS has not appeared for
quite a few issues and obviously isn't a regular
feature any more. Udo Engelhardt may provide 'guest'
articles in the future so stay tuned! We are also
farewelling the CRC Update from the newsletter. As Reef
Research and the CRC Reef Research Centre's
newsletter, CRC Reef Research News,
will be mailed out jointly it was felt that news from
the Centre did not need to be included in Reef
Research.
