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Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program – Estuarine and Marine

Coverage

The map below highlights the areas where sampling has occurred for this program.

Click on the map to view information about the drainage basins in this area.

Download points KML metadata

 

NOTE: This program is represented by a large number of points that are available in KML format by clicking the "download points KML" button, but due to web browser limitations the points cannot be shown on this page.

Program start date

2001

Program end date

Ongoing

Objectives of the program

This program aims to:

  • advise councils and managers on water quality and ecosystem health of estuarine and marine waterways in South East Queensland
  • deliver an annual regional assessment of the ambient ecosystem health of 18 river estuaries and nine zones in Moreton Bay and publically communicate this through an annual report card
  • evaluate the effectiveness of management actions aimed at improving and protecting aquatic ecosystems
  • use scientifically robust, relevant and cost-effective methods to provide data for intelligent decision making.

Who is involved?

Lead organisation

Healthy Waterways

Contact details of lead organisation: hwwinfo♲healthywaterways.org

Partner organisations

Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program Partners

List of indicators monitored

  • Water quality (Turbidity, conductivity/salinity, water temperature, clarity/secchi depth, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll a)
  • Sewage Plume Mapping (Stable nitrogen isotope 15N uptake by macroalga Catenella nipae)
  • Lyngbya monitoring
  • Soft and hard coral cover and substrate type
  • Seagrass distribution
  • Seagrass depth range
  • Riparian habitat extent

Scale of program

Regional scale

Brief description of sampling locations

  • Water quality and sewage plume mapping at 254 sites throughout South East Queensland estuaries/marine areas
  • Lyngbya monitoring in Eastern Banks of Moreton Bay, West Moreton and Southern Bay, Northern Deception Bay, Waterloo Bay
  • Soft and hard coral cover and substrate type five sites throughout Moreton Bay at Green Island, St Helena Island, Coochiemudlo Island, Peel Island and Myora springs near North Stradbroke Island
  • Seagrass distribution and depth range 18 sites in the Moreton Bay region
  • Riparian habitat assessment for 18 South East Queensland estuaries from the Noosa River in the north to Currumbin Creek in the south

Frequency of monitoring

  • Water quality - monthly
  • Sewage plume mapping - annual
  • Lyngbya monitoring - variable. Bimonthly through summer in Eastern Banks of Moreton Bay, West Moreton and Southern Bay, regular basis in Northern Deception Bay, variable in other locations around Moreton Bay.
  • Soft and hard coral cover and substrate type - annual
  • Seagrass depth range - sites are monitored biannually, ideally during the same month each year. Contingency monitoring at select sites may also occur in response to major environmental events (for example floods, algal blooms)
  • Seagrass distribution - triennially
  • Riparian habitat assessment - estuary foreground and backgrounds are monitored biennially

Where is the program reported?

Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program


Last updated: 18 November 2015

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2015) Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program – Estuarine and Marine, WetlandInfo website, accessed 18 March 2024. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/assessment/monitoring/current-and-future-monitoring/ecosystem-health-monitoring-estuarine-marine.html

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of Environment, Science and Innovation