title: Terrestrial pollutant runoff to the Great Barrier Reef: An update of issues, priorities and management responses.
abstract: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a World Heritage Area and contains extensive areas of coral reef, seagrass meadows and fisheries resources. From adjacent catchments, numerous rivers discharge pollutants from agricultural, urban, mining and industrial activity. Pollutant sources have been identified and include suspended sediment from erosion in cattle grazing areas; nitrate from fertiliser application on crop lands; and herbicides from various land uses. The fate and effects of these pollutants in the receiving marine environment are relatively well understood. The Australian and Queensland Governments responded to the concerns of pollution of the GBR from catchment runoff with a plan to address this issue in 2003 (Reef Plan; updated 2009), incentive-based voluntary management initiatives in 2007 (Reef Rescue) and a State regulatory approach in 2009, the Reef Protection Package. This paper reviews new research relevant to the catchment to GBR continuum and evaluates the appropriateness of current management responses.
authors.affiliation: Catchment to Reef Research Group, Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia. jon.brodie@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kroon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaffelke
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Wolanski
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bohnet
authors.forename: Z T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Bainbridge
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001315:Australia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058735:Environmental Policy; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants