The Great Barrier Reef• World heritage area

• 2300 km along the Queensland coast

• 2900 reefs plus seagrass meadows, mangroves and other habitats

Threats

Shipping Climate change

Coastaldevelopment

Point source pollution

Plus …

Diffuse source pollution from agriculture

• Big catchment (½ million km2)

• Highly variable climate

• Flood events.

• 2008 Updated Scientific Consensus Statement on Reef water Quality

• Indicates ongoing nutrient, sediment & pesticide impacts mainly from agriculture

• Most coral loss due to dissolved inorganic nitrogen mainly from cane fertiliser

• New threat from GHG emissions: ocean warming and acidification

Background

Reef Water Quality Protection Plan• Joint initiative of the Queensland and

Australian Governments

• Focuses on diffuse source pollution

• Provides the policy framework and a funding commitment.

Reef Plan goals and targets• Landholders adopt improved land management practices• Catchment targets:

o No net loss of wetlandso Riparian extent and condition improvedo Groundcover maintained.

• Water quality load reduction targetsNo detrimental impact on Great Barrier Reef health and resilience.

50% reduction in the total nutrient and

pesticide load at the end of catchments by

2013.

Achieve a minimum of 50% dry season

groundcover in the Dry Tropics grazing lands

20% reduction in sediment load at the end of

catchments by 2020.

80% of landholders (sugarcane, horticulture, dairy,

cotton and grains) adopted improved soil, nutrient and

chemical practices (cropping)

Condition and extent of riparian areas will

have improved

No net loss or degradation of natural

wetlands

ManagementPractices

PollutantLoads

Riparian /Wetlands

Reef Plan Targets

Paddock to Reef ProgramObjectives:

To measure and report on progress towards the Reef Plan goals and targets

Use multiple lines of evidence

Highly collaborative! Need to measure change in the short

term.

Reporting - DPC

GBRMPADERM

IndustryRBs

CSIRODEEDIDERM

Lines of Evidence

Simulations

Plot

Paddock

Sub- basin

Basin

Practice Effectiveness

Adoption of Practices

Land Use

BareGroundIndex

Water Quality Reductions (Catchment monitoring and modelling)

Ecosystem Outcomes(Marine monitoring program)

‘Paddock to Reef’ approachMultiple lines of evidence and integration

• Practice adoption monitoring• Mapping and remote sensing

– Wetland extent– Riparian cover– Groundcover.

• Monitoring and modelling– Paddock water quality– Sub catchment and end of the catchment water quality– Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem health.

ReefMonitoring & Modelling

Cropping

Grazing

Bananas Cane

Horticulture

Measuring pollutant export rates from different farming

practices – flume experiments

Plot scale - Rainfall simulation

Mean Groundcover 1988-2006

Groundcover estimated state-wide each year using Landsat at 25m resolution where FPC is less than 20%–High Cover–Low Cover–FPC > 20%

Michael Schmidt

Peter Scarth

Kerry Speller

Ground Cover Index

Measuring sediment export from different grazing land pasture

conditions

Predict results for different:– Climatic regions– Soils– Land uses (grazing, cropping)– Management practices (ABCD)

Soil water store

Rainfall

Drainage

Runoff

Plantgrowth

SedimentNutrients

Transpiration

Evaporation

Management Effectiveness Information

for Paddock-based Models

Catchment modellingForecast and manage stream water quantity, quality & the effects of catchments on streams

End of catchment monitoring

Components monitored under the Marine Monitoring Program

Inshore lagoon water quality

Marine Biological monitoring (Coral and seagrass)

Flood Monitoring

GBR Marine Monitoring

Program Sites

National Queensland Reef

Water Quality Guidelines Integrating knowledge of WQ impacts on Reef Health

(currently under revision) (updated 2009) (released 2009)

www.reefplan.qld.gov.au

Acknowledgements• Queensland Government agencies • Australian Government agencies• Regional NRM bodies• Industry groups• Research and development organisations

• University of Maryland• CSIRO• AIMS / JCU / UQ.

… AND MANY MORE …