A team of marine managers will head out to the Great Barrier Reef this week to determine how it fared after Cyclone Yasi crossed the coast near Mission Beach last week.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Chairman Russell Reichelt said approximately 13 per cent of the Marine Park had been exposed to destructive winds.

Dr Reichelt said the early assessment of the Reef was aimed at establishing the spread and severity of Yasi' impact. More detailed scientific investigations would be conducted later.

"It is likely fragile coral was damaged and marine animals were affected in the area of the Marine Park that was exposed to very destructive and destructive winds," he said.

"The Great Barrier Reef is large and extends along over half the Queensland coastline so many areas are not affected and tourism operators are open for business in the Whitsundays, Port Douglas and Cairns.

"Damage is likely to be patchy, ranging from no damage in some locations to plenty in others.

"Cyclone Yasi was severe and strong and did not happen in isolation. Queensland also saw a major flood this summer. We are very concerned about the cumulative impacts of this extreme weather.

"Together, these events highlight the importance of management efforts to improve the resilience of the Reef against climate change, the biggest threat to the Reef."

According to the first Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report, future predictions of climate change dominate most aspects of the Great Barrier Reef's outlook.

Impacts from climate change have already been witnessed and all parts of the ecosystem are vulnerable to its increasing effects.

Changes in the climate also mean that weather events are likely to become more severe and frequent.

From 1970 to 2005 there were 116 cyclones occurring on the Great Barrier Reef, none of which were category five.

Since 2006, there have been three category five cyclones; Larry, Hamish and Yasi.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park covers 344,000km2 in area and is approximately 2,300 km long, extending from northern tip of Queensland south to just north of Bundaberg.