Coral trout are important target species for the Queensland Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery, recreational, charter and indigenous fishery sectors. Recent research has indicated that their distribution, behaviour and population viability is likely to change in response to recent and ongoing climate change. This project aims to understanding the flow-on effects of changing reef habitats and environmental conditions on wild stocks of coral trout on the Great Barrier Reef. It will establish the capacity for thermoregulatory behaviour in common coral trout and test for changes in the distribution and behaviour of coral trout associated with seasonal and latitudinal variation in ocean temperatures. In addition, the project will explore the effects of severe coral loss and habitat degradation on the abundance, diet and physiological condition of large-bodied fishery species, especially common coral trout and test for long-term changes in abundance and catches of coral trout associated with such reef-wide changes in habitat condition. The implications of these changes in habitat and environmental conditions will be documented and provided as advice for fishery managers.