USR 3278 CNRS—EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, Polynésie Francaise, Affiliations Photo: MAJ Al Green. While some wildlife would have died in the cyclones, there is particular concern for the long term recovery of the endangered cassowary and arboreal mammals in areas where the forest canopy has been largely destroyed. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click 5). What are the spatial patterns in damage severity throughout the area affected by gale force winds during TC Yasi? Yes Recovery may take decades to centuries [2,5,6] in cases of structural damage assuming access to a sufficient larval pool [7,8]. 5). Structural damage (levels 4 and 5) extended as far as 150 km to the north and 250 km to the south of the cyclone track. PLOS ONE promises fair, rigorous peer review, It was classified as Category 5 with Structural damage to corals from TC Yasi was spatially extensive. The majority of large soft corals either suffered substantial tissue loss or were completely removed, as indicated by layers of spicules formed where the coral was attached to the substrate. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g002. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click Representative photographs of each damage level are shown in Fig. 3 and 4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g008. At locations with structural damage (levels 4 and 5, Figs. For severe TCs, the average gale radii was measured for only those eye positions when the TC was severe. It was first classified as a tropical disturbance on the 26th January and was located 370 km northeast of Vanuatu by the time it was classified as a tropical cyclone. This analysis is based on a Bray-Curtis similarity matrix, 9999 permutations of the raw data under a reduced model, and Type III (partial) sums-of-squares. Cardwell resident Harry Berger lived through Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and has helped lead the recovery of the town. In the weeks after TC Yasi crossed the GBRMP, participating researchers, managers and rangers assessed the extent and severity of reef damage via 841 Reef Health and Impact Surveys at 70 reefs. Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field. No, Is the Subject Area "Wind" applicable to this article? Records were scaled into five damage levels representing increasingly widespread colony-level damage (1, 2, 3) and reef structural damage (4, 5). Bar charts for each 50-km Marine Park segment north and south of the track of TC Yasi represent the proportion of surveys that recorded each of 5 levels of damage (n = 841). A permutational analysis of variance (PermANOVA) was also used to test the effects of three fixed factors on the mean level of damage experienced: side of track (two levels: north/south of the eye), shelf position (two levels: mid-shelf and outer-shelf), and habitat (5 levels: lagoon, reef flat, crest, slope and bommie fields). [35] document is ~3 times greater than the ~2% per year rate of recovery we observed between 2011 and 2013. Coral cover increased on average in all segments from 150 km north to 100 km south and was >9% in the segments 100 km north and 100 km south of the cyclone eye. To date, there are no published studies presenting field survey data on the spatial extent of wave damage to coral reefs from a TC that is both large and intense. 3 and 4) is also shown (±SE). Impacts and recovery from severe tropical cyclone yasi on the great barrier reef Abstract Full recovery of coral reefs from tropical cyclone (TC) damage can take decades, making cyclones a major 3, which combines damage extent with the dominant type of colony-level damage observed. Yes Recovery surveys were conducted between January and December 2013 (24–35 months after TC Yasi) at reefs from 150 km north to 150 km south of the cyclone track (the area where damage was most severe). Damage level descriptions can be found in Figs. Cyclone Yasi, one of the most severe tropical storms on record, crossed the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in February 2011, bringing wind speeds of up to 285 km hr⁻¹ and wave heights of at least 10 m, and causing massive destruction to exposed reefs in the Palm Island Group. We recognise their connection to land, sea and community, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g003. However, even if large TCs remain rare within the GBR, a greater proportion of TCs are predicted to be intense in the future [46]. The independent effects of each factor and their possible interactions and all post-hoc pairwise comparisons across levels were calculated using PERMANOVA+. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia, Affiliation This analysis sought to answer this question: Was TC Yasi unique among TCs present in the GBRMP between 1985 and 2014, and if so, in what way? These more uniformly devastated reefs were Pellowe, Unnamed 17–065, Unnamed 18–023 and Hopkinson (see red, Fig. Yes Locations in red denote reefs where ≥60% of the surveys recorded structural damage (level 4 or 5) and the two labeled reefs are the locations in Fig. It is unlikely that regrowth of remnant live coral tissues will contribute substantially to recovery of coral communities impacted by cyclone Yasi, particularly as structural complexity has been shown to be important for rapid reef recovery . No, Is the Subject Area "Tornadoes" applicable to this article? In the Disaster Zone: Update on Cyclone Yasi relief effort | The Salvation Army, Feb 2011 (PDF 23.3KB) Cyclone Yasi was the largest and most powerful cyclone to hit Queensland in living memory. On the Cassowary Coast of north Queensland, Sian Prior finds spirits are buoyant and post-cyclone recovery is well underway. Damage levels 1, 2 and 3 relate to coral damage, while 4 and 5 relate to reef structural damage (see colour scale on right). 1B) and three reefs beyond these zones (Fig. However, when TC Yasi crossed the coast, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) had just finished incorporating mechanical damage into the Reef Health and Impact Survey (RHIS) protocol used in the Eye on the Reef participatory monitoring network [27]. Homes were destroyed in … [35] between 1993 and 2000 for the Cooktown/Lizard and Capricorn Bunker sectors of the GBR. We classified each cyclone based on maximum intensity (maximum surface wind speeds in m/s), average size (mean radius from the eye of the storm to the outer edge of gale force winds in km), and persistence (total hours of gale force or higher winds within the GBRMP). Only four (5.3%) of the surveyed reefs showed structural damage for 60% or more of the surveys. The recovery surveys were conducted in the same manner as the im- The recent spate of intense TCs crossing the GBRMP (TCs Ingrid 2005; Monica 2006; Larry 2006; Hamish 2009; Ului 2010; Yasi 2011; Ita 2014) is in stark contrast to the extreme rarity of such TCs from 1970 to 2003. Colleges of Business, Law and Governance and Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia, 1). e0121272. More outer-shelf reefs suffered structural damage than mid-shelf reefs within 150 km of the track. In 2015, the Queensland Government made QRA Australia’s first permanent disaster recovery agency, expanding its role to become lead agency for disaster recovery, resilience and mitigation policy. 7). The rate of coral cover increase we observe per year is less than the rate reported in Emslie et al. 2). 9C). PLoS One, 10 (4), e0121272-1 - e0121272-17. Locations in blue were surveyed during both 2011 and 2013. This was double the prevalence of such damage in the 150 km segment north of the track (Fig. Coral and macroalgae are then classified by life form and type, respectively, and then observers focus on signs of impacts and their potential causes [27]. Recovery surveys were conducted between January and December 2013 (24–35 months after TC Yasi) at reefs from 150 km north to 150 km south of the cyclone track (the area where damage was most severe). Analyzed the data: RB JM MP GW. Since 1985, 44 TCs generated gale force winds (≥17 metres/second) within the Great Photographs on the right show (c) algae blooms following TC Yasi in 2011, (d) the transition from recently dead coral to live coral rock, and (e) coral recruitment and recovery at Helix Reef. Cyclone Yasi Innisfail bananas BANANAS are down to under $5 per kilo for the first time since Cyclone Yasi wiped out crops in February. 4 presents photographs of damage that are representative of each of the five damage levels. Terrain, WTMA, QPWS, Main Roads, and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council (CCRC) gave brief presentations at the community… Full recovery of coral reefs from tropical cyclone (TC) damage can take decades, making cyclones a major driver of habitat condition where they occur regularly. Accordingly, the proportion of surveys recording minor damage or no damage increased with distance south of the track, from 33% of reefs up to 50 km south to >90% beyond 250 km (Fig. Final figures were co-designed and developed by Dieter Tracey. Seven years after cyclone Yasi, there was little recovery of Rhizophora species. This is in keeping with sea states generated by TC winds being most extreme south of cyclone tracks; a a feature of tropical cyclones (southern hemisphere). Where such TCs are intense or long-lasting enough or both, the heavy seas they generate can cause structural damage to coral reefs, as was recorded in field surveys after intense TCs Ivor in 1990 [3] and Ingrid in 2005 [4]. Yes https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g004. Recently dead coral in 2011, which included recently created ‘rubble’, declined between 8.5% (50 km south of track) and 20.5% (100 km south of track). 2 and 3. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.t001. The potential for a TC to cause structural damage to reefs is driven by three key factors: the intensity, circulation size and the duration of extreme conditions near reefs (‘persistence’). Just over 15% (3,834 km2) of the total reef area of the GBRMP is estimated to have sustained some level of coral damage, with ~4% (949 km2) sustaining a degree of structural damage. Wrote the paper: RB JM MP PM JD JG GW. See Figs. The cyclone symbol denotes the location of the track of the cyclone eye. This method generates estimates of error while accounting for unequal effort among the 10 segments and pools all data (no discrimination between habitat or shelf position). These are home to Lumholtz tree-kangaroos and ringtail possums. 2). Examples in this snapshot include Japoonvale, Mackay and Cairns. No, Is the Subject Area "Hurricanes" applicable to this article? broad scope, and wide readership – a perfect fit for your research every time. The recovery surveys were conducted in the same manner as the impact assessments at a sub-set of the reefs surveyed in 2011 (see blue locations in Fig. Extreme winds during tropical cyclones (TCs—also known as hurricanes, typhoons) generate heavy seas that can devastate coral reef communities [1,2], which can buffer human communities along coasts from the sea conditions that TCs generate. Slow recovery for Cardwell after Cyclone Yasi | Cairns Post DEVASTATION: The aftermath of cyclone Yasi as it crossed the Far North Queensland coast. The prevalence of the worst structural damage (level 5) peaked at outer shelf reefs south of the track in the 150 km segment, where more than half of surveys detected it. 5). In this sense, we observed strong recovery given both years in our recovery study period were not disturbance free. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia, We then calculated the average values and standard deviation within each of the 50 km segments. Prices for the tropical fruit soared up to $15/kg following the devastating storm that hit big banana towns in Queensland, including Innisfail and Tully. 63393 In the back room of Innisfail's historical museum, past the antique egg cups, the yellowing christening gowns and the old war rifles, is a collection of black-and-white photographs labelled "Cyclone, March 10th, 1918". These high-energy events leave a lasting legacy in the geological record, producing storm ridges that can be preserved for thousands of years [1]. At these reefs, remaining coral cover after TC Yasi was typically less than 20% (Pellowe—33%, UN17-069–17%, UN18-023–19%, Hopkinson -14%). However, the overall area encompassed by a cyclone’s circulation may be more important in determining the total destructiveness of the TC [20]. De’ath et al. The extensive field data set we collected following TC Yasi demonstrates that a single large and intense cyclone can cause structural damage over a vast area within a very short timeframe (~ a day). Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 January, the system intensified to tropical cyclone status during the evening of 30 January. "We are in a far better situation now than we were at this time with Larry. On our conceptual diagram, each TC’s intensity (x axis), circulation size (y axis), persistence (boldness of circles) and structural damage risk value (colour of circles) are plotted. The amount of TC-generated wave energy actually reaching a given part of a reef within the complex GBR setting depends on the location of other nearby reefs and land given the incoming wave direction and the tide [31]. 2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g006. (2015) Impacts and Recovery from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi on the Great Barrier Reef. [17] estimate rates of increase in coral cover in the absence of cyclones, COTS and bleaching to be 2.85% per year during recent decades, which is only 0.7% greater than what we observe. Structural damage was patchily distributed at all distances, but more so as distance from the track increased. RECOVERY Navy helps clean-up efforts in wake of Cyclone Yasi END OF AN ERA FOR HMAS MANOORA P4 ASI ASSIST P2-3 LENDING A HAND: HMAS Brunei crew members CPO Mark Flynn and AB James Riddell shift debris from the streets of Townsville after Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Graeme was CEO from QRA's establishment in February 2011 until August 2014. 1), ranging from 100km north to 150 km south of the track and include 1 mid-shelf reef and 3 outer-shelf reefs. At outer-shelf reefs north of the cyclone track, lagoon habitats, reef flats and reef crests all suffered more damage than reef slopes, which may have been protected due to their slightly greater depth (10–15 m versus 1–7 m) (3.269, 2.857, and 2.778 vs. 1.643; t = 4.96, p<0.001; t = 3.12, p<0.01; t = 2.34, p<0.05 [respectively]). These segments, the average values and standard deviation within each of the track increased per year Emslie... Subject Area `` corals '' applicable to this article by large numbers of coral still... P, Dryden J, Puotinen M, Marshall P, Dryden J et! To Elders past, present and emerging track increased for scientific surveys obtained! Denotes the location of the damage levels used follow the matrix in Fig with... 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cyclone yasi recovery

Similar damage was also observed at Jamaican reefs [15] following Hurricane Allen, which was H4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale while near the surveyed reefs. 8). Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be 215 km/hr (59.7 m/s) with gusts up to 285 km/hr (79.2 m/s) and a minimum central pressure of 929 hectopascals when TC Yasi crossed the Queensland coast at 1400 UTC on 3 February. There were also no significant differences in average damage between habitats for outer-shelf or mid-shelf reefs south of the cyclone track, meaning the slightly greater depth of reef slopes only reduced damage severity at some locations. In both the very destructive and destructive wind zones (Fig. For these assessments, team members estimated the proportion of coral cover damaged and classified the most common level of impact severity observed as one of the following: None, Tips/Edges, Branches/Parts, and Colonies. This COTS outbreak is still ongoing at the time of writing. Algae cover declined greater than 7% in all 4 segments between 50 km north and 150 km south and changed <3% 100 and 150 km north of the track. Yes Its 5.76 kilometre long jetty and offshore wharf suffered significant wave damage following Tropical Cyclone Yasi (TC Yasi) as it crossed the coastline in the early hours of Thursday 3 February 2011. Data were aggregated at the scale of individual reefs to identify the percentage of surveys at each reef for which structural damage was observed. 1), posing challenges for assessing the spatial extent of the damage caused to coral reefs. Funding: Fieldwork, data analysis and manuscript preparation were all supported by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and EPHE/CNRS & CRIOBE of Paris, France and French Polynesia using departmental funding and not grants. 7). Several recent studies of TC damage to coral reefs assume that structural damage is generally not found beyond a distance to the track determined by cyclone intensity ([23]–100 km; [24]– 90km) or by cyclone intensity and side of the track ([25]– 160 km). 3). TC Oliver (1993) affected the far southern GBR when large and intense, but was located far from all but a few reefs. This finding by scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) provides fresh hope for the ability of the world’s coral reefs to recover from destructive storms. Since then, QRA has managed a recovery and reconstruction program worth more than $16.4 billion across more than 80 disaster events, partnering with councils and state agencies to deliver best practice administration of public reconstruction and resilience funds. There was a significant interaction between the side of track, shelf position, and habitat in the PermANOVA (Pseudo-F5,754 = 3.2054, p = 0.003). The mean gale radii of ‘large’ TCs exceeded 300 km while the radii of ‘small’ TCs were less than 150 km [21]. Yasi deepened rapidly over the next 24 hours, and was classified as a Category 3 cyclone at about 5 PM AEST (07:00 UTC) on 31 January 2011. Conceived and designed the experiments: RB JM MP PM JD JG GW. 4 with damage descriptions. Since 1985, 44 TCs generated gale force winds (≥17 metres/second) within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). RHIS is a rapid survey method jointly developed by the GBRMPA and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) [27]. Stephanie Berger says Cardwell still hasn't fully recovered. This is in keeping with the results from similar surveys presented by Halford et al. Affiliations 2 and 3) few corals escaped substantial physical injury, and many were so severely damaged that only their bases remained attached to the reef. Cyclones are a major driver of habitat condition in the GBR—De’ath et al. The five damage levels used encapsulate both colony and reef damage. Teams from GBRMPA, QPWS, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and the tourism and fishing industries completed 841 surveys at 70 reefs within five weeks (between 10 February and 17 March 2011) of TC Yasi crossing the Queensland coast (3 February 2011, Fig. Dating of such ridges throughout the GBR and adjacent coast provides evidence of repeated TC structural damage over the past 5,000 years [16]. Mahogany glider post-cyclonic recovery assessment 5 J. The Government has had positive response in the effectiveness of Cyclone Yasi cleanup, comparing it to Cyclone Larry, 2 years before. The spatial distribution of structural damage was highly patchy, as would be expected [2] even for an intense TC (for example, the same was observed for TCs Ivor [3] and Ingrid [4]). 8. 7). The proportion of reefs with structural damage was roughly equal for all three 50 km segments north of the track (24, 21 and 23% for 50, 100 and 150km segments, respectively). 3 and 4 for damage level descriptions. PLoS ONE 10(4): The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is regularly exposed to gale force (≥17 metres/second: m/s) or higher winds generated by TCs, averaging 4 days per year from 1985 to 2009 in the central GBR [14]. Average values for change presented in (b) are shown in the table for each segment and benthic cover category with standard deviation values in brackets. TC Yasi likely caused the greatest loss of coral cover on the GBR in a 24-hour period since 1985. The other funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. TC intensity is only one factor affecting the potential to generate heavy seas capable of damaging coral communities. The DLGP continues to administer the claims for Cyclones Olga/Neville. 1, 2). No, Is the Subject Area "Corals" applicable to this article? No, Is the Subject Area "Algae" applicable to this article? Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Damage extent and severity scores in light blue represent the survey area damaged (Damage extent) and the dominant type of colony-level damage observed (Damage severity description). The number of reefs re-surveyed in 2013 in each of the 50 km segments is as follows (150 km—n = 3, 100–3, 50–3, -50–4, -100–3, -150–2, -200–1). There are probably two causes for the difference between the coral cover rate we document and rates published for the 2 decades preceding TC Yasi. Fieldwork, data analysis and manuscript preparation were all supported by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and by a Marie Curie Actions fellowship from the ERC to the second author. Of the 7 TCs that were large, only TC Yasi was also intense and posed a high risk of structural damage. (b) Positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) percent changes between 2011 and 2013 are shown for each benthic cover category. Gale force wind duration was estimated by finding the cyclone-generated wind speed across the GBR every hour during each TC and counting the number of hours it met or exceeded gale force conditions. See Fig. Australia: Early signs of coral recovery after cyclone Yasi Source(s): Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Reefs impacted by category five cyclone Yasi in 2011 are demonstrating their capacity to bounce back, with new research showing an average 4.4 … 2). Cyclone Yasi strikes down Queensland recovering from widespread flooding. Laboratories d’Excellence <> USR 3278 CNRS—EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, Polynésie Francaise, Affiliations Photo: MAJ Al Green. While some wildlife would have died in the cyclones, there is particular concern for the long term recovery of the endangered cassowary and arboreal mammals in areas where the forest canopy has been largely destroyed. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click 5). What are the spatial patterns in damage severity throughout the area affected by gale force winds during TC Yasi? Yes Recovery may take decades to centuries [2,5,6] in cases of structural damage assuming access to a sufficient larval pool [7,8]. 5). Structural damage (levels 4 and 5) extended as far as 150 km to the north and 250 km to the south of the cyclone track. PLOS ONE promises fair, rigorous peer review, It was classified as Category 5 with Structural damage to corals from TC Yasi was spatially extensive. The majority of large soft corals either suffered substantial tissue loss or were completely removed, as indicated by layers of spicules formed where the coral was attached to the substrate. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g002. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click Representative photographs of each damage level are shown in Fig. 3 and 4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g008. At locations with structural damage (levels 4 and 5, Figs. For severe TCs, the average gale radii was measured for only those eye positions when the TC was severe. It was first classified as a tropical disturbance on the 26th January and was located 370 km northeast of Vanuatu by the time it was classified as a tropical cyclone. This analysis is based on a Bray-Curtis similarity matrix, 9999 permutations of the raw data under a reduced model, and Type III (partial) sums-of-squares. Cardwell resident Harry Berger lived through Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and has helped lead the recovery of the town. In the weeks after TC Yasi crossed the GBRMP, participating researchers, managers and rangers assessed the extent and severity of reef damage via 841 Reef Health and Impact Surveys at 70 reefs. Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field. No, Is the Subject Area "Wind" applicable to this article? Records were scaled into five damage levels representing increasingly widespread colony-level damage (1, 2, 3) and reef structural damage (4, 5). Bar charts for each 50-km Marine Park segment north and south of the track of TC Yasi represent the proportion of surveys that recorded each of 5 levels of damage (n = 841). A permutational analysis of variance (PermANOVA) was also used to test the effects of three fixed factors on the mean level of damage experienced: side of track (two levels: north/south of the eye), shelf position (two levels: mid-shelf and outer-shelf), and habitat (5 levels: lagoon, reef flat, crest, slope and bommie fields). [35] document is ~3 times greater than the ~2% per year rate of recovery we observed between 2011 and 2013. Coral cover increased on average in all segments from 150 km north to 100 km south and was >9% in the segments 100 km north and 100 km south of the cyclone eye. To date, there are no published studies presenting field survey data on the spatial extent of wave damage to coral reefs from a TC that is both large and intense. 3 and 4) is also shown (±SE). Impacts and recovery from severe tropical cyclone yasi on the great barrier reef Abstract Full recovery of coral reefs from tropical cyclone (TC) damage can take decades, making cyclones a major 3, which combines damage extent with the dominant type of colony-level damage observed. Yes Recovery surveys were conducted between January and December 2013 (24–35 months after TC Yasi) at reefs from 150 km north to 150 km south of the cyclone track (the area where damage was most severe). Damage level descriptions can be found in Figs. Cyclone Yasi, one of the most severe tropical storms on record, crossed the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in February 2011, bringing wind speeds of up to 285 km hr⁻¹ and wave heights of at least 10 m, and causing massive destruction to exposed reefs in the Palm Island Group. We recognise their connection to land, sea and community, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g003. However, even if large TCs remain rare within the GBR, a greater proportion of TCs are predicted to be intense in the future [46]. The independent effects of each factor and their possible interactions and all post-hoc pairwise comparisons across levels were calculated using PERMANOVA+. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia, Affiliation This analysis sought to answer this question: Was TC Yasi unique among TCs present in the GBRMP between 1985 and 2014, and if so, in what way? These more uniformly devastated reefs were Pellowe, Unnamed 17–065, Unnamed 18–023 and Hopkinson (see red, Fig. Yes Locations in red denote reefs where ≥60% of the surveys recorded structural damage (level 4 or 5) and the two labeled reefs are the locations in Fig. It is unlikely that regrowth of remnant live coral tissues will contribute substantially to recovery of coral communities impacted by cyclone Yasi, particularly as structural complexity has been shown to be important for rapid reef recovery . No, Is the Subject Area "Tornadoes" applicable to this article? In the Disaster Zone: Update on Cyclone Yasi relief effort | The Salvation Army, Feb 2011 (PDF 23.3KB) Cyclone Yasi was the largest and most powerful cyclone to hit Queensland in living memory. On the Cassowary Coast of north Queensland, Sian Prior finds spirits are buoyant and post-cyclone recovery is well underway. Damage levels 1, 2 and 3 relate to coral damage, while 4 and 5 relate to reef structural damage (see colour scale on right). 1B) and three reefs beyond these zones (Fig. However, when TC Yasi crossed the coast, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) had just finished incorporating mechanical damage into the Reef Health and Impact Survey (RHIS) protocol used in the Eye on the Reef participatory monitoring network [27]. Homes were destroyed in … [35] between 1993 and 2000 for the Cooktown/Lizard and Capricorn Bunker sectors of the GBR. We classified each cyclone based on maximum intensity (maximum surface wind speeds in m/s), average size (mean radius from the eye of the storm to the outer edge of gale force winds in km), and persistence (total hours of gale force or higher winds within the GBRMP). Only four (5.3%) of the surveyed reefs showed structural damage for 60% or more of the surveys. The recovery surveys were conducted in the same manner as the im- The recent spate of intense TCs crossing the GBRMP (TCs Ingrid 2005; Monica 2006; Larry 2006; Hamish 2009; Ului 2010; Yasi 2011; Ita 2014) is in stark contrast to the extreme rarity of such TCs from 1970 to 2003. Colleges of Business, Law and Governance and Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia, 1). e0121272. More outer-shelf reefs suffered structural damage than mid-shelf reefs within 150 km of the track. In 2015, the Queensland Government made QRA Australia’s first permanent disaster recovery agency, expanding its role to become lead agency for disaster recovery, resilience and mitigation policy. 7). The rate of coral cover increase we observe per year is less than the rate reported in Emslie et al. 2). 9C). PLoS One, 10 (4), e0121272-1 - e0121272-17. Locations in blue were surveyed during both 2011 and 2013. This was double the prevalence of such damage in the 150 km segment north of the track (Fig. Coral and macroalgae are then classified by life form and type, respectively, and then observers focus on signs of impacts and their potential causes [27]. Recovery surveys were conducted between January and December 2013 (24–35 months after TC Yasi) at reefs from 150 km north to 150 km south of the cyclone track (the area where damage was most severe). Analyzed the data: RB JM MP GW. Since 1985, 44 TCs generated gale force winds (≥17 metres/second) within the Great Photographs on the right show (c) algae blooms following TC Yasi in 2011, (d) the transition from recently dead coral to live coral rock, and (e) coral recruitment and recovery at Helix Reef. Cyclone Yasi Innisfail bananas BANANAS are down to under $5 per kilo for the first time since Cyclone Yasi wiped out crops in February. 4 presents photographs of damage that are representative of each of the five damage levels. Terrain, WTMA, QPWS, Main Roads, and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council (CCRC) gave brief presentations at the community… Full recovery of coral reefs from tropical cyclone (TC) damage can take decades, making cyclones a major driver of habitat condition where they occur regularly. Accordingly, the proportion of surveys recording minor damage or no damage increased with distance south of the track, from 33% of reefs up to 50 km south to >90% beyond 250 km (Fig. Final figures were co-designed and developed by Dieter Tracey. Seven years after cyclone Yasi, there was little recovery of Rhizophora species. This is in keeping with sea states generated by TC winds being most extreme south of cyclone tracks; a a feature of tropical cyclones (southern hemisphere). Where such TCs are intense or long-lasting enough or both, the heavy seas they generate can cause structural damage to coral reefs, as was recorded in field surveys after intense TCs Ivor in 1990 [3] and Ingrid in 2005 [4]. Yes https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g004. Recently dead coral in 2011, which included recently created ‘rubble’, declined between 8.5% (50 km south of track) and 20.5% (100 km south of track). 2 and 3. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.t001. The potential for a TC to cause structural damage to reefs is driven by three key factors: the intensity, circulation size and the duration of extreme conditions near reefs (‘persistence’). Just over 15% (3,834 km2) of the total reef area of the GBRMP is estimated to have sustained some level of coral damage, with ~4% (949 km2) sustaining a degree of structural damage. Wrote the paper: RB JM MP PM JD JG GW. See Figs. The cyclone symbol denotes the location of the track of the cyclone eye. This method generates estimates of error while accounting for unequal effort among the 10 segments and pools all data (no discrimination between habitat or shelf position). These are home to Lumholtz tree-kangaroos and ringtail possums. 2). Examples in this snapshot include Japoonvale, Mackay and Cairns. No, Is the Subject Area "Hurricanes" applicable to this article? broad scope, and wide readership – a perfect fit for your research every time. The recovery surveys were conducted in the same manner as the impact assessments at a sub-set of the reefs surveyed in 2011 (see blue locations in Fig. Extreme winds during tropical cyclones (TCs—also known as hurricanes, typhoons) generate heavy seas that can devastate coral reef communities [1,2], which can buffer human communities along coasts from the sea conditions that TCs generate. Slow recovery for Cardwell after Cyclone Yasi | Cairns Post DEVASTATION: The aftermath of cyclone Yasi as it crossed the Far North Queensland coast. The prevalence of the worst structural damage (level 5) peaked at outer shelf reefs south of the track in the 150 km segment, where more than half of surveys detected it. 5). In this sense, we observed strong recovery given both years in our recovery study period were not disturbance free. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia, We then calculated the average values and standard deviation within each of the 50 km segments. Prices for the tropical fruit soared up to $15/kg following the devastating storm that hit big banana towns in Queensland, including Innisfail and Tully. 63393 In the back room of Innisfail's historical museum, past the antique egg cups, the yellowing christening gowns and the old war rifles, is a collection of black-and-white photographs labelled "Cyclone, March 10th, 1918". These high-energy events leave a lasting legacy in the geological record, producing storm ridges that can be preserved for thousands of years [1]. At these reefs, remaining coral cover after TC Yasi was typically less than 20% (Pellowe—33%, UN17-069–17%, UN18-023–19%, Hopkinson -14%). However, the overall area encompassed by a cyclone’s circulation may be more important in determining the total destructiveness of the TC [20]. De’ath et al. The extensive field data set we collected following TC Yasi demonstrates that a single large and intense cyclone can cause structural damage over a vast area within a very short timeframe (~ a day). Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 January, the system intensified to tropical cyclone status during the evening of 30 January. "We are in a far better situation now than we were at this time with Larry. On our conceptual diagram, each TC’s intensity (x axis), circulation size (y axis), persistence (boldness of circles) and structural damage risk value (colour of circles) are plotted. The amount of TC-generated wave energy actually reaching a given part of a reef within the complex GBR setting depends on the location of other nearby reefs and land given the incoming wave direction and the tide [31]. 2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121272.g006. (2015) Impacts and Recovery from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi on the Great Barrier Reef. [17] estimate rates of increase in coral cover in the absence of cyclones, COTS and bleaching to be 2.85% per year during recent decades, which is only 0.7% greater than what we observe. Structural damage was patchily distributed at all distances, but more so as distance from the track increased. RECOVERY Navy helps clean-up efforts in wake of Cyclone Yasi END OF AN ERA FOR HMAS MANOORA P4 ASI ASSIST P2-3 LENDING A HAND: HMAS Brunei crew members CPO Mark Flynn and AB James Riddell shift debris from the streets of Townsville after Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Graeme was CEO from QRA's establishment in February 2011 until August 2014. 1), ranging from 100km north to 150 km south of the track and include 1 mid-shelf reef and 3 outer-shelf reefs. At outer-shelf reefs north of the cyclone track, lagoon habitats, reef flats and reef crests all suffered more damage than reef slopes, which may have been protected due to their slightly greater depth (10–15 m versus 1–7 m) (3.269, 2.857, and 2.778 vs. 1.643; t = 4.96, p<0.001; t = 3.12, p<0.01; t = 2.34, p<0.05 [respectively]). These segments, the average values and standard deviation within each of the track increased per year Emslie... Subject Area `` corals '' applicable to this article by large numbers of coral still... P, Dryden J, Puotinen M, Marshall P, Dryden J et! To Elders past, present and emerging track increased for scientific surveys obtained! Denotes the location of the damage levels used follow the matrix in Fig with... 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