2021-08-10 P&E Agenda - Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Climate Change Response Plan

          Noosa Shire Council




    Oceans
    The average sea level for the coastal region Noosa is situated is projected to rise by 0.8m
    above present day levels by the year 2100. Higher sea levels will increase the risks posed by
    coastal hazards such as storm tide inundation and coastal erosion, and lead to more frequent
    nuisance flooding of low-lying foreshore areas. Noosa Council’s Coastal Hazards Adaptation
    Plan, and accompanying technical studies, contain details regarding how these risks are
    expected to change, and what the most appropriate pathways for dealing with these risks are
    for Noosa’s coastal zone.
    In addition to sea level rise, sea surface temperatures off the Queensland coast have risen
    markedly over recent decades, and warming is projected to continue. Such increases could
    lead to changes in the makeup of local marine and estuarine ecosystems. Warmer seas could
    lead to a southward expansion in the range of certain tropical marine species, including those
    both visually attractive to beachgoers and those that are potentially harmful.
    The world’s oceans have been absorbing a significant amount of carbon dioxide emitted by
    human activities, and have increased in acidity by around 25%. If carbon emissions continue
    to increase as currently, this acidification of the oceans will also increase. Along with increases
    in sea surface temperature, this is likely to have a significant effect on marine ecosystems, as
    a more acidic ocean makes it more difficult for important marine species such as corals and
    plankton to make their skeletons and shells. Such impacts will extend up the oceanic food
    chain, affecting important ecological values and economic activities such as commercial and
    recreational fisheries and tourism.




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