title: A bioindicator system for water quality on inshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef.
abstract: Responses of bioindicator candidates for water quality were quantified in two studies on inshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). In Study 1, 33 of the 38 investigated candidate indicators (including coral physiology, benthos composition, coral recruitment, macrobioeroder densities and FORAM index) showed significant relationships with a composite index of 13 water quality variables. These relationships were confirmed in Study 2 along four other water quality gradients (turbidity and chlorophyll). Changes in water quality led to multi-faceted shifts from phototrophic to heterotrophic benthic communities, and from diverse coral dominated communities to low-diversity communities dominated by macroalgae. Turbidity was the best predictor of biota; hence turbidity measurements remain essential to directly monitor water quality on the GBR, potentially complemented by our final calibrated 12 bioindicators. In combination, this bioindicator system may be used to assess changes in water quality, especially where direct water quality data are unavailable.
authors: Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No. 3, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia. K.fabricius@aims.gov.au
authors: Katharina E
authors: KE
authors: Fabricius
authors: Timothy F
authors: TF
authors: Cooper
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Humphrey
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Uthicke
authors: Glenn
authors: G
authors: De'ath
authors: Johnston
authors: J
authors: Davidson
authors: Hélène
authors: H
authors: LeGrand
authors: Angus
authors: A
authors: Thompson
authors: Britta
authors: B
authors: Schaffelke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D001315:Australia; D044822:Biodiversity; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012624:Seaweed / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll