Suspended-Sediment Loads in the Southern Great Barrier Reef

An experiment of this nature was conducted for the first time in a modern coral reef environment. Suspension loads were monitored over One Tree Reef using sampling towers and siphon systems, with water movement tracked via dye casts and current meters. The dataset was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated on 2026-06-16.

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment transport into lagoons based on suspended-sediment load transport data
• Analyzing tidal cycle influences based on measurements of tidal current velocities
• Studying carbonate sedimentation based on suspended calcium carbonate determinations

Strengths

• First experiment of its nature conducted in a modern coral reef environment
• Quantitative data on suspended-sediment load transport provided by a mechanical sampling system
• Water movement was monitored by 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

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples collected by siphon action at selected tidal levels; suspended calcium carbonate determined by complexometric titration.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 23:33:35.158927; freshness should be verified

Geography

One Tree Reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef