Fine sediment and particulate organic matter: A review and case study on ridge-to-reef transport, transformations, fates, and impacts on marine ecosystems

Bainbridge, Zoë; Lewis, Stephen E.; Bartley, Rebecca; Fabricius, Katharina; Collier, Catherine; Waterhouse, Jane; Garzon‐Garcia, Alexandra; Robson, Barbara; Burton, Joanne; Wenger, Amelia S.; Brodie, Jon

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.08.002

Cited by 108 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 233 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Sedimentation caused by these events could be associated with the significant increase in algae observed that year (2011). Several studies have demonstrated that sedimentation, and consequently a greater concentration of nutrients in the water column, can lead to an increase in algae (Bainbridge et al, ; Birrell et al, ; Fabricius, ; Lambo & Ormond, ; Yu & Peng, ). This could cause a phase shift from coral cover dominance to algae cover dominance (Jesús E. Arias‐González et al, ; Bozec, Acosta‐González, Núñez‐Lara, & Arias‐González, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies have shown a high abundance of planktivorous fish in sites with high concentrations of chlorophyll a and large inputs of organic material and nutrients (Williams et al, 2015), in particular nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus (Pinnegar & Polunin, 2006). This has been identified as a consequence of the proximity of the reefs to the coast (Wenger et al, 2015) and the terrestrial run-off from coastal development (Bainbridge et al, 2018;Fabricius, 2005;Wenger et al, 2015). The coral reefs of CRNP, especially the intensive zone reefs, are near the shoreline, which makes them vulnerable to the consequences of their proximity to the coast.…”

Section: Spatio-temporal Trends In the Density Of Fish Trophic Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the first year of the study (2004), a degraded reef system with higher algal cover than coral cover (phase shift) was observed, except in the low-intensity zone where a phase shift (Bellwood, Hughes, Folke, & Nyström, 2004;Done, 1992 Sedimentation caused by these events could be associated with the significant increase in algae observed that year (2011). Several studies have demonstrated that sedimentation, and consequently a greater concentration of nutrients in the water column, can lead to an increase in algae (Bainbridge et al, 2018;Birrell et al, 2005;Fabricius, 2005;Lambo & Ormond, 2006;Yu & Peng, 2009…”

Section: Spatio-temporal Trends In Benthic Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

Martínez‐Rendis

Acosta‐González²,

Arias‐González

2019

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coral reef biodiversity is rapidly decreasing as a result of the loss of coral cover, which modifies the structure and functioning of the ecosystem. Understanding how coral reef communities respond in space and over the long term is essential in order to implement management strategies and reduce the effects of biodiversity loss on coral reefs. Fish, coral, and algae communities were used as indicators to evaluate changes in coral reef systems. The variation of these communities was studied in a marine protected area composed of three management zones in Cozumel Coral Reef National Park in Quintana Roo, Mexico, over a period of 11 years (2004–2014). The following parameters were monitored annually: (i) total fish density; (ii) fish trophic group densities; (iii) species richness and three fish diversity indices; (iv) relative scleractinian coral cover; and (v) relative macroalgae cover. In the years in which coastal development, such as the construction of a marina, took place, an increase in the abundance of territorial herbivorous and planktivorous fish was observed. As the coral recovered, macrocarnivores and sessile benthic invertivores were re‐established, whereas scraper herbivores showed no changes in the period of study in any of the three management zones. Coral cover recovery showed rapid phase‐shift reversal (phase‐shift, macroalgae dominance over coral) in the three zones. Even though the fish density and coral cover recovered, the diversity indices of each fish trophic group exhibited a reduction in the three management zones over time.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Spatio-temporal Trends In the Density Of Fish Trophic Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Spatio-temporal Trends In Benthic Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

Martínez‐Rendis

Acosta‐González²,

Arias‐González

2019

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has been demonstrated recently that subsoils in Great Barrier Reef catchments, including the Burdekin, contain relatively low amounts of available nutrients, in comparison with topsoils . Since European settlement resulted in large-scale mobilization of sediments from subsoil gully erosion, it is possible that the lack of response to erosion is partly explained by the lower nutrient availability in these soils (Bainbridge et al, 2018;Franklin et al, 2018). were not without precedent (Lewis et al, 2007).…”

Section: The Nature and Drivers Of Burdekin River Wetland Ecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the relative impacts of land‐use change and river regulation on Burdekin River (Australia) floodplain wetlands

Tibby

Barr

Marshall

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Burdekin River floodplain wetlands are internationally important and act as a sink for sediments and nutrients that would otherwise enter the World Heritage‐listed Great Barrier Reef lagoon. The Burdekin River has the highest natural discharge of any Great Barrier Reef catchment and contributes the greatest mass of sediment to the reef. The river and its catchment have been substantially modified by land clearance, river regulation introduced in the 1960s, the construction of the Burdekin Falls Dam in 1987 and invasive aquatic plants. We hypothesised that the natural variability of Burdekin River discharge would render its wetland ecosystems resistant to human‐induced pressures. Diatoms were analysed from the sediments of two lower Burdekin River floodplain wetlands with contrasting regulation histories. Labatt Lagoon has a long history of flow alteration, whereas Swan's Lagoon has experienced limited regulation. Both wetlands experienced dramatic increases in sedimentation as a result of land clearance, yet the Swan's Lagoon diatom record indicates that the wetland's ecology remains within the range of natural variability. In contrast, Labatt Lagoon is markedly different from its pre‐settlement state. It is now permanent, having been ephemeral for more than 1000 years before European settlement. The conversion to artificial permanence facilitated aquatic plant invasion, resulting in more marked changes than widespread pastoralism. Modern diatom assemblages from 28 lower Burdekin River floodplain wetlands indicate that the contemporary flora of Swan's Lagoon is unusual. Most wetlands have similar assemblages to those in the Labatt Lagoon record in its present, altered state. It is possible, therefore, that the ecological shift registered in Labatt Lagoon is widespread. Diatom records highlight the striking impact that river regulation has had on the trajectory of the Burdekin floodplain wetlands. It is likely that wetland rehabilitation can be facilitated by the re‐introduction of a variable hydrological regime.

show abstract

“…Catchment runoff presents a major threat to water quality and ecosystem health within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) (Grech et al 2011, Bainbridge et al 2018. Ecologically Relevant Targets (ERTs) for sediment and nutrient loads and pesticide concentrations have been proposed based on seagrass light requirements (Brodie et al 2017a,b) and incorporated into the 5-year Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan (The State of Queensland, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Ecologically Relevant Targets: Impact of flow and sediment discharge on seagrass communities in the Great Barrier Reef

Lambert¹,

Adams²,

Collier³

et al. 2019

El Sawah, S. (Ed.) MODSIM2019, 23rd International Congress on Modelling and Simulation.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Catchment degradation causing increased sediment flow is one of the key stressors facing Great Barrier Reef (GBR) habitats. Ecologically relevant targets (ERTs) for sediment and nutrient loads have been previously proposed based on seagrass light requirements, the next step is to connect these to ecological response. The overarching goal of the present work is to recommend preliminary thresholds that can be used in the development of more refined ERTs. To achieve this, we perform statistical analysis on datasets for catchment flows and sediment loads and condition of the adjacent seagrass habitat, to identify what might be the direct impacts of catchment discharge on seagrass and the associated timescales of ecological response. Our case study focuses on Cleveland Bay, which is located in the central GBR, and has important seagrass habitat that is affected by discharge from the Burdekin River. Annual monitoring of seagrass biomass and area has been undertaken since 2007. We compare these ecological time-series with data for Burdekin River annual flow and total sediment load from 2005 onwards. Annual Burdekin River flow varied by nearly 40-fold within the 2005-2018 study period, and declines in biomass and area of both subtidal and intertidal seagrasses were associated with high flows and loads from the Burdekin. Subtidal seagrasses appeared more sensitive to changes in catchment discharges than intertidal seagrasses, exhibiting a 3 year timeframe for recovery, following high annual flows and loads. Based on our results, a linear model relating change in seagrass biomass to Burdekin River metrics was used to calculate predicted thresholds below which seagrass biomass was likely to increase, and above which biomass was likely to decline. For seagrass area, a growth threshold, below which seagrass area expanded; and a decline threshold, above which seagrass area fell, were defined for annual Burdekin River flow, and sediment load. Overall these thresholds provide the first steps towards refining ERTs based on ecological condition, which can directly inform the management of the GBR to protect its iconic seagrass habitats and associated communities. The next step is to examine whether the relationship between river discharge and sediment load was the primary cause of seagrass decline.

show abstract

Fine sediment and particulate organic matter: A review and case study on ridge-to-reef transport, transformations, fates, and impacts on marine ecosystems

Cited by 108 publications

References 233 publications

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

Assessing the relative impacts of land‐use change and river regulation on Burdekin River (Australia) floodplain wetlands

Towards Ecologically Relevant Targets: Impact of flow and sediment discharge on seagrass communities in the Great Barrier Reef

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About