Herbicides: a new threat to the Great Barrier Reef.
The runoff of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) from agricultural lands is a key concern for the health of the iconic Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Relatively low levels of herbicide residues can reduce the productivity of marine plants and corals. However, the risk of these residues to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems has been poorly quantified due to a lack of large-scale datasets. Here we present results of a study tracing pesticide residues from rivers and creeks in three catchment regions to the adjacent marine environment. Several pesticides (mainly herbicides) were detected in both freshwater and coastal marine waters and were attributed to specific land uses in the catchment. Elevated herbicide concentrations were particularly associated with sugar cane cultivation in the adjacent catchment. We demonstrate that herbicides reach the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and may disturb sensitive marine ecosystems already affected by other pressures such as climate change.
Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. stephen.lewis@jcu.edu.au
Stephen E
SE
Lewis
Jon E
JE
Brodie
Zoë T
ZT
Bainbridge
Ken W
KW
Rohde
Aaron M
AM
Davis
Bronwyn L
BL
Masters
Mirjam
M
Maughan
Michelle J
MJ
Devlin
Jochen F
JF
Mueller
Britta
B
Schaffelke
D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001315:Australia; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006540:Herbicides / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D006540:Herbicides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical