Terrestrial runoff to the Great Barrier Reef and the implications for its long term ecological status

Abstract

[Extract] The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region with its two layers of protected areas (the GBR Marine Park and the GBR World Heritage Area) is a large marine ecosystem adjacent to the north-east Australian coast. The land adjacent to the GBR forms the GBR Catchment Area (GBRCA) from which many rivers and streams discharge into the GBR. As the GBRCA has been developed for agricultural, industrial and residential use over the last 150 years, waters discharged from GBRCA rivers have contained increasing amounts of nutrients, sedimentsand other pollutants.