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The focus of Stage 3 is designed to be much broader than Stage 2, incorporating regional catchment issues and the rivers above the estuaries. Thus the non-point source or diffuse sources of sediments, nutrients and toxicants will be investigated. Another reason for employing a staged approach was to allow the development of effective teams of scientists as well as linkages between the public involvement, Water Quality Stategy and scientific investigations. The initiation of Stage 3 of the Strategy marked the expansion of the study area to include:
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freshwater streams of the Moreton Bay catchment (with some additional work on tidal waters); |
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fresh and tidal waters in the northern sub-region (Noosa, Maroochy and Mooloolah) and southern sub-region (Logan, Albert and Gold Coast) of South East Queensland |
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The introduced focussed on the freshwater reaches called for the development of a South East Queensland-wide freshwater Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program to complement the estuarine Program developed in Stage 2. In addition, northern sub-regional tasks explored locally relevant monitoring tools for incorporation into an expanded estuarine monitoring program. Development of the freshwater monitoring program was supplemented by a regional approach to studies of sediment and nutrient sources and processes delivering these to receiving water bodies, in particular, Moreton Bay. Contextualisation of sediment and nutrient sources was achieved through a broad-scale evaluation of their loads and ultimately the development of a nutrient budget. Stakeholders can further determine how changes to catchment management practices affect these loads through the use of the Environmental Management Support System.
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In response to persistent Lyngbya blooms, several Lyngbya tasks were established by the Lyngbya Steering Committee addressing the roles of light, water quality, sediments, land sources and biota in development and maintenance of Lyngbya blooms. Phase 1 of the Lyngbya studies are completed, however, Lyngbya studies continue beyond the completion of Stage 3 tasks.
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| Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program |
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