Scientists: Great Barrier Reef Threatened by Toxic Flood Debris
Created: Apr 04 2011
Related articles: Lifestyles
Australia’s worst floods in 50 years in December and January have left a trail of environmental devastation. Riverbanks have been eroded, farmland has been destroyed, and the state's mining industry is still struggling to recover.
What concerns environmentalists and scientists now are the tons of sediment and toxic sludge they say have been carried along with the floodwaters.
A scientist says there's evidence that run-off has already caused damage to sensitive coral areas off the coast.
[Michelle Devlin, Scientist, James Cook University]:
"What we've done is we have changed the quality of the water, so our activities on the catchment through increased agriculture and through urbanization is that we've changed that quality of water - there's high nutrients in there, there's higher sediments, there's pesticides that could potentially impact on the reef."
Experts say they expect to see coral bleaching because of the flooding that swept across central and southern Queensland.
Bleaching occurs when the tiny plant-like coral organisms die, often because of high temperature and poisoning, leaving behind only a white limestone reef skeleton.
[Michelle Devlin, Scientist, James Cook University]:
"We need to really understand the impact of that amount of fresh water plus combined with the other pollutants that are in the water and as we have said we are starting to see some aspects of bleaching and potentially mortality in those inshore reefs."
The flooded areas feeding into the Fitzroy and Bowen Basin river systems comprise large grazing, agriculture areas, and Queensland's highest concentration of coalmines.
[Susie Christiansen, CEO, Fitzroy Management Authority]:
"Sediment comes off just the massive extent of both grazing and cropping lands and like I said 82 percent grazing. It's coming of hill slopes, its coming off gully erosion and its coming from stream banks and its not about pointing the finger, it’s just about the scale."
Susie Christiansen agrees reducing greenhouse gases will make a difference in the long term. But the immediate solution to future problems cause by flooding is better land management.
[Susie Christiansen, CEO, Fitzroy Management Authority]:
"We don't need to weigh into the debate about is it or is it climate change or is to be better into the future, if we have a resilient landscape."
The Great Barrier Reef contributes $5.4 billion to the Australian economy each year from fishing, recreational use, and tourism.
What concerns environmentalists and scientists now are the tons of sediment and toxic sludge they say have been carried along with the floodwaters.
A scientist says there's evidence that run-off has already caused damage to sensitive coral areas off the coast.
[Michelle Devlin, Scientist, James Cook University]:
"What we've done is we have changed the quality of the water, so our activities on the catchment through increased agriculture and through urbanization is that we've changed that quality of water - there's high nutrients in there, there's higher sediments, there's pesticides that could potentially impact on the reef."
Experts say they expect to see coral bleaching because of the flooding that swept across central and southern Queensland.
Bleaching occurs when the tiny plant-like coral organisms die, often because of high temperature and poisoning, leaving behind only a white limestone reef skeleton.
[Michelle Devlin, Scientist, James Cook University]:
"We need to really understand the impact of that amount of fresh water plus combined with the other pollutants that are in the water and as we have said we are starting to see some aspects of bleaching and potentially mortality in those inshore reefs."
The flooded areas feeding into the Fitzroy and Bowen Basin river systems comprise large grazing, agriculture areas, and Queensland's highest concentration of coalmines.
[Susie Christiansen, CEO, Fitzroy Management Authority]:
"Sediment comes off just the massive extent of both grazing and cropping lands and like I said 82 percent grazing. It's coming of hill slopes, its coming off gully erosion and its coming from stream banks and its not about pointing the finger, it’s just about the scale."
Susie Christiansen agrees reducing greenhouse gases will make a difference in the long term. But the immediate solution to future problems cause by flooding is better land management.
[Susie Christiansen, CEO, Fitzroy Management Authority]:
"We don't need to weigh into the debate about is it or is it climate change or is to be better into the future, if we have a resilient landscape."
The Great Barrier Reef contributes $5.4 billion to the Australian economy each year from fishing, recreational use, and tourism.
