Suspended-Sediment Loads and Tidal Currents in the Southern Great Barrier Reef

A mechanical sampling system collected suspended-sediment samples and tidal current velocity measurements over One Tree Reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef. Suspended calcium carbonate was determined by complexometric titration, and water movement was monitored using fluorescein dye casts and bidirectional current meters. The results, showing large suspension-load fluxes that fluctuate with the tidal cycle, were published by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment transport into lagoons based on tidal cycle data
• Analyzing the relationship between tidal current velocities and suspended-sediment flux
• Studying calcium carbonate suspension dynamics in coral reef environments

Strengths

• Data collection represents the first experiment of its nature conducted in a modern coral reef environment
• Quantitative data on suspended-sediment load transport was gathered using a specialized mechanical system
• Water movement was monitored using multiple methods: fluorescein dye casts and arrays of bidirectional current meters

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on a single reef

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples collected by siphon action and a float-activated siphon system at selected tidal levels; water movement monitored by fluorescein dye casts and current meters.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 18:17:34.075922; freshness should be verified

Geography

One Tree Reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef