Water Quality in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: Past Perspectives, Current Issues and New Research Directions

摘要

Elevated sediment and nutrient concentrations have long been regarded as the pre-eminent water quality threats to the Great Barrier Reef, with the potential risk posed by other pollutants such as heavy metals, persistent chloro- hydrocarbons, PCBs and petroleum related compounds considered to be of lesser consequence. However, the management focus on these latter types of pollutants has recently shifted to acknowledge the potential impact posed by diuron, dioxins, dieldrin, and mercury and cadmium concentrations detected in sediments and biota along the Great Barrier Reef and southern Queensland coastline.