Water clarity and water quality, catchment to reef, Great Barrier Reef

This research focused on defining improved water quality guideline trigger values for the GBR Water Quality Guidelines, by identifying measures of changes in coral reefs that are specifically related to recent and past exposure to changing water quality from altered catchments. An analysis of spatial and seasonal water quality conditions in six NRM regions on the GBR assessed the relationships between water quality and reef ecosystem health. Trigger values for water quality were determined to protect ecosystem health and model based predictions for ecosystem benefits for improvements should the trigger values by implemented.

Analysis was conducted for the six NRM regions: Burnett Mary, Fitzroy, Mackay Whitsundays, Burdekin Dry Tropics, Wet Tropics, and Cape York NRM. This included nine water quality parameters were analysed: Secchi depth, chlorophyll, suspended solids, particulate, dissolved and total nitrogen, and particulate, dissolved and total phosphorus. Four groups of biota were used as proxies for reef ecosystem status and biodiversity: these were macroalgal cover, species richness of hard corals, and species richness of phototrophic and heterotrophic octocorals.

Two separate approaches were used to define water quality guideline trigger values:

(i) The modelled relationships between the condition of reef biota

(ii) The analyses of the spatial distribution of water quality.

The chlorophyll and nutrient data were collected since 1976, and between 1992 and 2006 as part of the Long-Term Chlorophyll Monitoring program, and of the Reef Plan Marine Monitoring program since 2005.

The Secchi data were collected by a consortium of people from AIMS, DPIF, and members of the Reef Plan Marine Monitoring Program since 1976. These data are available through the data links on this page (eAtlas).

The hard coral biodiversity data were collected between 1994 and 2001.

The study was funded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility

本研究旨在为《大堡礁水质指南》（Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Guidelines, GBR Water Quality Guidelines）修订水质基准触发值，通过明确与流域改造引发的水质变化相关的近期及历史珊瑚礁变化指标。研究分析了大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef, GBR）辖下6个自然资源管理区（Natural Resource Management, NRM）的空间与季节水质状况，评估了水质与珊瑚礁生态系统健康之间的关联。本研究确定的水质触发值旨在保护生态系统健康，并模拟了若落实该触发值后生态系统可获得的效益提升预测。

本次分析覆盖6个NRM区域：伯内特-玛丽（Burnett Mary）、菲茨罗伊（Fitzroy）、麦凯-圣灵群岛（Mackay Whitsundays）、伯德金干旱热带区（Burdekin Dry Tropics）、湿热带区（Wet Tropics）以及约克角NRM（Cape York NRM）。共分析9项水质参数：塞氏深度（Secchi depth）、叶绿素（chlorophyll）、悬浮固体、颗粒态氮、溶解态氮与总氮，以及颗粒态磷、溶解态磷与总磷。本研究选取4类生物群落作为珊瑚礁生态系统状态与生物多样性的替代指标：大型海藻盖度、硬珊瑚物种丰富度，以及光合与异养八放珊瑚的物种丰富度。

本研究采用两种独立方法制定水质指南触发值：
(i) 珊瑚礁生物群落状态与水质间的模拟关联关系；
(ii) 水质空间分布特征分析。

叶绿素与营养盐监测数据自1976年起开始采集，其中1992年至2006年的数据取自长期叶绿素监测项目（Long-Term Chlorophyll Monitoring program），2005年起的数据则取自珊瑚礁计划海洋监测项目（Reef Plan Marine Monitoring program）。

塞氏深度监测数据自1976年起由澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Australian Institute of Marine Science, AIMS）、DPIF以及珊瑚礁计划海洋监测项目成员组成的联盟共同采集。相关数据可通过本页面的数据链接eAtlas获取。

硬珊瑚生物多样性数据采集于1994年至2001年期间。

本研究由大堡礁海洋公园管理局、澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（AIMS）以及澳大利亚政府海洋与热带科学研究设施资助。