Aerial view of Hardy Reef, the heart reef, in the Great Barrier Reef. Captions and Photo source: ©© Greens MPs
Excerpts;
Researchers appeared before an Australian Senate committee this week to review how federal and local governments have managed the reef. What they discovered is that the world’s largest coral reef system is “…in the worse state it’s ever been in since records began…”
Within 40 years, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to lose populations of marine life and will feature far more seaweed and algae where coral once flourished.
Researchers attributed the significant decline to coastal development and placed some of the blame on government action, such as approval of proposals involving dredging and dumping sediment along the Queensland coast.
Read Full Article, Huffington Green
Great Barrier Reef’s Unprecedented Threat From Dredging, Dumping, Guardian UK (05-07-2014)
The impact of dredging and dumping sediment on the Great Barrier Reef has been far greater than the mining industry has claimed, with nearly 150m tonnes of new dredging set to take place in the reef’s waters, a study shows.
Great Barrier Reef Authority Approves Dredging And Dumping To Expand Port, Guardian UK (Uploaded 01-31-2014)
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has approved a proposal to dump dredge spoil (about 3 million cubic meters 106 million cubic feet) from the Abbot Point coal terminal expansion in the Marine Park area…
