Quantifying the sources of pollutants in the Great Barrier Reef catchments and the relative risk to reef ecosystems

Waterhouse, J., Brodie, J., Lewis, S., and Mitchell, A. (2012) Quantifying the sources of pollutants in the Great Barrier Reef catchments and the relative risk to reef ecosystems. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 65 (4-9). pp. 394-406.

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Abstract

Development of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments in the last 150 years has increased the loads of suspended sediment, nutrients and pesticides ('pollutants') delivered to the GBR. The scale and type of development, the pollutants generated and the ecosystems offshore vary regionally. We analysed the relative risk of pollutants from agricultural land uses and identified the sources of these pollutants from different land uses for each region to develop priorities for management. The assessment showed the Wet Tropics and Mackay Whitsunday regions to be of relatively high risk dominated by sugarcane cultivation, contributing pesticide and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The Burdekin and Fitzroy ranked medium–high risk dominated by grazing suspended sediment inputs for both, and additionally sugarcane DIN and pesticide inputs for the Burdekin. The Burnett Mary ranked medium risk, dominated by grazing and sugarcane. Cape York was not formally ranked but is considered to be low risk.

Item ID: 20975
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1879-3363
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef, pollutant sources, sediments, nutrients, pesticides, risk assessment
Additional Information:

960507 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments (on JCU website) 960506 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments (have had to use in repository as suggested by Tove)

Date Deposited: 14 Mar 2012 04:15
FoR Codes: 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050204 Environmental Impact Assessment @ 50%
05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050209 Natural Resource Management @ 50%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960506 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments @ 50%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9609 Land and Water Management > 960905 Farmland, Arable Cropland and Permanent Cropland Water Management @ 50%
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