scholarly journals Reef exposure to river-borne contaminants: a spatial model

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Maughan ◽  
J. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Water Quality Improvement ◽  
Management Board ◽  
Contaminant Load

Rivers flowing into the Great Barrier Reef carry contaminants such as suspended sediments, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, total phosphorus and pesticides. To measure the extent and direction of the contaminants after they enter the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, a model was created using river volume, flooding variability, contaminant load, distance and direction as inputs. A GIS was used to calculate and visualise the exposure of the contaminants to the reefs for the current day, as well as modelling scenarios for pre-European arrival loads, and land management using realistic targets set by a regional Natural Resource Management board for water quality improvement planning purposes. The results show that a reduction in the dissolved inorganic nitrogen load exiting the Tully and Murray Rivers reduces the exposure of reefs close to the basin, but that reefs further east of the basin are significantly influenced by other rivers, highlighting that management for water quality improvement in neighbouring basins is also required.

New Regionalism and Planning for Water Quality Improvement in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANN PETERSON ◽  
MICHELLE WALKER ◽  
MARY MAHER ◽  
SUZANNE HOVERMAN ◽  
RACHEL EBERHARD
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
New Regionalism ◽  
Water Quality Improvement

Cost effectiveness of design-based water quality improvement regulations in the Great Barrier Reef Catchments

2013 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martijn van Grieken ◽  
Tim Lynam ◽  
Anthea Coggan ◽  
Stuart Whitten ◽  
Frederieke Kroon
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Water Quality Improvement

scholarly journals Adoption of agricultural management for Great Barrier Reef water quality improvement in heterogeneous farming communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. van Grieken ◽  
P.C. Roebeling ◽  
I.C. Bohnet ◽  
S.M. Whitten ◽  
A.J. Webster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Water Quality Improvement ◽  
Farming Communities

Modelled estimates of dissolved inorganic nitrogen exported to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon

2021 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
pp. 112655
Author(s):  
G.L. McCloskey ◽  
R. Baheerathan ◽  
C. Dougall ◽  
R. Ellis ◽  
F.R. Bennett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Reef Lagoon

scholarly journals Target setting for pollutant discharge management of rivers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Brodie ◽  
Stephen Lewis ◽  
Zoe Bainbridge ◽  
Alan Mitchell ◽  
Jane Waterhouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Discharge Management ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Pollutant Discharge ◽  
High Degree

Water Quality Improvement Plans (WQIPs) are being developed for individual river basins on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment associated with the GBR Water Quality Protection Plan. Within each WQIP, marine ecosystem targets are linked to end-of-river pollutant (suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides) load targets and to farm level management practice targets. The targets are linked through quantitative models; e.g. one model connects GBR chlorophyll concentrations (marine target) to end-of-river nitrate loads, a second connects the end-of-river nitrate loads to fertiliser management targets in the catchment, whereas a third model links fertiliser application to nitrate loss at the farm scale. The difficulties of applying these linked models to derive credible and practical management targets are great, given the high degree of uncertainty in each model. Our understanding of the generation of suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides in catchments and the relationship to on-farm management, the transport of these materials to the ocean, their transport in coastal waters and their effects on marine ecosystems is incomplete. The challenge is to produce estimates from the models, with known levels of uncertainty, but robust enough for management purposes. Case studies from the Tully–Murray basin and the Burdekin basin in north Queensland are discussed.

scholarly journals Assessment of water quality from the Normanby River catchment to coastal flood plumes on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 859 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Howley ◽  
M. Devlin ◽  
M. Burford
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
River System ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Tropical River ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations

Understanding the flux and fate of nutrients and sediments from rivers is of global importance because of the effects of these materials on coastal ecosystems. The present study followed three flood events from upper tributaries of the Normanby River to Princess Charlotte Bay in the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon, Australia. During each event, nutrients and suspended sediment concentrations were measured along a freshwater to marine transect. The upper catchment provided the majority of suspended sediments and nutrients supplied to the river system, although concentrations of most materials decreased by 52–85% between the upper catchment and estuary. As an exception, ammonium concentrations doubled within the estuary, indicating that undisturbed coastal ecosystems can provide a significant source of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to tropical river flood plumes. The dissolved nutrients in floodwaters stimulated phytoplankton blooms that inundated seagrass meadows and coral reefs. Northern GBR marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change and catchment development. The results of this study show that increased anthropogenic loads of nutrients and sediments from the upper Normanby catchment have the potential to affect the condition of marine ecosystems at Princess Charlotte Bay.

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