The Australian government has been urged to divert money from its vaunted submarine program into a better plan to save the Great Barrier Reef
Coral reef expert Professor Terry Hughes on Thursday delivered a damning report card on the country's efforts to protect arguably its most valuable natural asset. 
The James Cook University researcher gave Australia an A- for the control of fishing, a C for preventing damaging run-off reaching the reef and an F- for Australia's commitment to mitigating climate change.
"The Australian government has plans to buy 12 submarines. If we only bought 10, we could have a much better management plan for the Great Barrier Reef than we currently have," he said.
"The question is 'do we have the right policy settings, the right legal frameworks, the correct institutional arrangements to secure a future for the Great Barrier Reef?' in my opinion, we don't".
The federal government's planned submarine program could cost $150 billion by the middle of the century.
It would deliver 12 new submarines, at an estimated cost of $12.5 billion each, and was needed to maintain Australia's military edge of rapidly developing Asian nations, according to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he launched the Defence white paper in   February.
"It is peace, the rule of law and the confidence that it enables, which underpins it all," he said. "We reject the harsh and cynical assessment that might is right and justice can be found only between equals in power ??? These are momentous times."
Whether or not the submarines would be built in Australia or overseas had in itself become a contentious topic in recent years.
Professor Hughes was speaking at the World Science Festival's inaugural sojourn to Brisbane, on a panel entitled Can We Save Our Precious Reefs in Time?
The same audience heard Russell Reichelt, Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority warn the reef would likely never be the same even if the best possible management strategies came into effect today.
"On the other hand we want that minimised," Dr Reichelt said.
"The fastest solutions happen to come only in times of crisis."
"Let's not have the war but a sense of urgency now."
The comments built on earlier statements from world-renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle, more commonly known as "her deepness", for her exploratory efforts.
"In short, we have to protect the natural world, which is dominated by the ocean, as if our lives depend on it. Because they do," she said.
Environment minister Greg Hunt has been contacted for comment.
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