title: Towards ecologically relevant targets for river pollutant loads to the Great Barrier Reef.
abstract: Degradation of coastal ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, has been linked with a decline in water quality from land-based runoff. This paper examines the reduction in current end-of-catchment loads required for total suspended solids (TSS) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to achieve GBR water quality guidelines. Based on first-order estimates of sustainable pollutant loads, current TSS and DIN loads would need to be reduced by approximately 7000ktons/y (41%) and 6000tons/y (38%), respectively. Next, these estimated reductions for TSS and DIN are compared with Reef Plan targets for anthropogenic sediment (-20% by 2020) and nitrogen (-50% by 2013) loads. If successful, these targets will accomplish approximately 40% of TSS and 92% of DIN load reductions required to achieve sustainable loads to the GBR lagoon. These first-order estimates elucidate the need to establish ecologically relevant targets for river pollutant loads to the GBR for management and policy.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, P.O. Box 780, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia. frederieke.kroon@csiro.au
authors.forename: Frederieke J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kroon
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D057894:Coral Reefs; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants; D009584:Nitrogen