NESP TWQ 5.8: Sediment and Nutrient Sources in the Great Barrier Reef, 2019-2020

Recent research shows only a portion of fine sediment from rivers reaches Great Barrier Reef coral reefs and seagrass meadows. This project, for the first time, characterized and traced the origin, fate, and nutrient bioavailability of this environmentally detrimental sediment using samples from flood plumes and resuspension events. The data was collected by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in July 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify primary sediment sources impacting coral reefs based on flood plume sample analysis mentioned in the description
• Model the fate and transport of fine sediment fractions within the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon based on spatial targeting concepts
• Assess the bioavailability of nutrients associated with detrimental sediment to inform water quality management
• Prioritize catchment management actions for maximum reef health benefit based on traced sediment origins

Strengths

• First-time characterization of the origin and fate of environmentally detrimental sediment in the Great Barrier Reef.
• Samples collected during specific flood plume and resuspension events, providing direct environmental context.
• Data enables direct spatial targeting of sediment sources for management actions.

Limitations

• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the 2019-2020 sampling period.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples collected in flood plumes and during resuspension events, then characterized and traced.

Time Range

2019-2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 17:37:55.334183; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef Lagoon