Many coastal and marine ecosystems around the world are under increasing threat from a range of anthropogenic influences. The management of these threats continues to present ongoing challenges, with many ecosystems increasingly requiring active restoration to support or re-establish the ecosystem's biological, cultural, social and economic values. The current condition of Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its threats, including water quality, climate change and the loss of wetlands, causing the continuing decline in the GBR's ecological condition and function, has received global attention. Activities aimed at halting these declines and system restoration have been underway for over forty years. These activities are challenging to implement, and much has been learnt from their various outcomes. This paper considers the GBR and the associated management activities as a case study for regional scale catchment to reef management. It summarises the management approaches to date, describing the key role that science, policy and community have played in underpinning various investments. Four criteria for success are proposed: the lead role of the community, the need for a systems approach, the need for targeted, cost-effective and sustainable long-term investment, and importantly, building knowledge and maintaining consensus and political commitment.

世界各地的许多沿海和海洋生态系统正受到一系列人为影响的日益严重的威胁。对这些威胁的管理继续带来持续挑战，许多生态系统越来越需要积极恢复，以支持或重建生态系统的生物、文化、社会和经济价值。澳大利亚大堡礁（GBR）的现状及其威胁，包括水质、气候变化和湿地的丧失，导致大堡礁的生态状况和功能持续下降，已受到全球关注。旨在阻止这些衰退和系统恢复的活动已经进行了四十多年。这些活动实施起来具有挑战性，并且从它们的各种成果中学到了很多东西。本文将大堡礁和相关管理活动视为区域规模集水区到珊瑚礁管理的案例研究。它总结了迄今为止的管理方法，描述了科学、政策和社区在支持各种投资方面发挥的关键作用。提出了四个成功标准：社区的主导作用、系统方法的需要、有针对性、具有成本效益和可持续的长期投资的需要，以及重要的是，建立知识并保持共识和政治承诺。