Sheriden Morris, the research centre's managing director, said Dr Poiner had been a "brilliant chair" of her group.

“There are great challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef, like climate change, poor water quality and other human-induced impacts," Ms Morris said. "Ian will bring his deep understanding of the reef and of the communities that rely on it to these challenges.”

Mounting threats

The appointment of Dr Poiner comes as the Great Barrier Reef faces the threat of a third mass coral bleaching in four years with projections of warmer than usual waters along the Queensland by early next year.

The severe bleaching bouts in 2015-16 and 2016-17 summers killed as much as half the shallow-reef corals, and a looming El Nino event in the Pacific for the end of this year increases the odds another excessively warm spell.

Charlie Veron, a former chief scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) who worked under Dr Poiner, said his selection to head the marine park authority was "very surprising ".

Dr Veron, known as "godfather of corals" for his many discoveries, said Dr Poiner had long been removed from active science.

Labor's science spokesman, Kim Carr, said that in his "direct experience, Dr Poiner has been a very effective public servant committed to public good research and sound public administration”.

Imogen Zethoven from the Australian Marine Conservation Society said Dr Poiner was well positioned "to pursue an aggressive conservation agenda for the reef".

Dr Poiner will succeed Russell Reichelt, who had served as chair and chief executive of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for 11 years.

Ms Price paid tribute to Dr Reichelt as "an outstanding scientist and marine park manager", who had successfully managed the park "over a time of significant environmental challenges".

Dr Poiner has been approached for comment.