Moreton Bay Study
In population size, south east Queensland is the
fastest growing region in Australia. Rapidly increasing population can
impose severe stress on the environment such as the waterways. The threat
to the waterways can come from polluting chemicals and physical changes to
the river. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can enter the rivers
feeding Moreton Bay from stormwater runoff and sewerage treatment plant
discharges from both urban and agricultural areas. In addition, sediment
can enter the rivers and Moreton Bay from both urban and agricultural
areas.
Community concern and expectations regarding the health
of the waterways resulted in the Moreton Bay study being setup. The
purpose of the study was to develop a system-wide understanding of Moreton
Bay and its rivers, particularly with respect to nutrients and sediments.
|
Example of prediction map |
|
Example of uncertainty map |
The Fisheries Aquatic Ecosystem Sustainability stream
contributed to this task by mapping the nutrients and sediment levels in
Moreton Bay and the feeding rivers. The mapping technique employed used
"wet-distances," meaning that points on either side of land have
"wet-distance" that is greater than the straight-line distance over the
landmass. In addition, maps were generated which showed the level of
uncertainty for the estimated nutrient and sediment levels.
|
To
top