The Queensland government has announced the make-up of a new Great Barrier Reef taskforce as part of a bid to stop the natural wonder from being added to UNESCO's World Heritage "in danger" list.
The taskforce will tackle one of its biggest threats: the quality of water running into the reef and its catchments.
The formalisation of the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce comes before a possible downgrading of the reef's health status by UNESCO.
The World Heritage Committee will decide in June whether to add the reef to its "in danger" list.
Great Barrier Reef Minister Steven Miles said the 23-person taskforce, led by the state's chief scientist Dr Geoff Garrett, includes experts drawn from the science, business, agriculture and community sectors.
"This taskforce has been created ... to provide advice to the government on meeting the ambitious water quality targets we have set for the sake of protecting the Great Barrier Reef," Mr Miles told parliament.
It has to determine how to achieve an 80 per cent cut in nitrogen run-off, and a 50 per cent cut in sediment run-off onto the reef by 2025.
The taskforce is part of the Queensland and federal governments' long-term Great Barrier Reef management plan, which includes a ban on dumping dredge spoil anywhere in the world heritage area, a limit on port expansion to four sites and targets for reducing sediment, nutrient and pesticide contamination.
The Reef 2050 plan, released in March, will be a key factor in the World Heritage Committee's decision on whether to list the reef as "in danger".
World Wildlife Fund spokesman Nick Heath said the Reef 2050 plan needed to be turned into "real action" to avoid the listing.
Mr Heath said the taskforce had a good mix of skills and expertise but faced a tough task given the run-off targets.
He also called for a legislative cap on pollution.
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