INSHORE MARINE CONDITION
BURDEKIN REGION
Inshore marine environments are affected by the quality of water flowing from the catchments .
The overall condition of the Burdekin inshore marine environment improved from “ poor ” to “ moderate ”.
Seagrass meadows remained poor , probably due to the prolonged impacts of the region-wide flooding in 2019 . Leaf nutrient status remained moderate and did not improve .
Inshore coral condition has remained moderate since 2016 , demonstrating the recovery
capacity of inshore coral communities following severe tropical cyclone Yasi in 2011 .
Heat stress in early 2020 caused severe bleaching in many reefs ,
Reef resilience indicators through time
Score ( 1-100 )
2009-13
2009-12
2009-11 2009-10 however surveys in mid-2020 showed loss of coral cover was minimal . Inshore water quality recovered to “ good ” in 2020 following the impacts of flooding in 2019 .
2009-17
2009-16
2009-15
2009-14
2009-20
2009-18
2009-18
Coral cover score Seagrass abundance score
Monitoring and evaluation is important because it links the on-ground improvements that land mangers are making and converts them into water quality improvements that can then be reported via the Reef Report Card .
This allows NQ Dry Tropics to track progress towards water quality targets and to report back to the landholders and land managers , community and government to determine how best to fine tune investment and resources to bring about maximum returns for the farmer and the environment .
Cane growers and graziers are supported by NQ Dry Tropics ’ experienced sugar and grazing teams , along with farm extension and agronomic service providers .
We support Burdekin producers to drive change from the ground up to identify , test and validate practices that can reduce their environmental footprint while also enhancing production and boosting farm viability .
The Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring , Modelling and Reporting Program is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments .