Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef
Managers are moving toward implementing large-scale coastal ecosystem restoration projects, however, many fail to achieve desired outcomes. Among the key reasons for this is the lack of integration with a whole-of-catchment approach, the scale of the project (temporal, spatial), the requirement for...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00071/full |
| _version_ | 1818840095381258240 |
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| author | Nathan J. Waltham Nathan J. Waltham Damien Burrows Carla Wegscheidl Christina Buelow Christina Buelow Mike Ronan Niall Connolly Paul Groves Donna Marie-Audas Colin Creighton Marcus Sheaves Marcus Sheaves |
| author_facet | Nathan J. Waltham Nathan J. Waltham Damien Burrows Carla Wegscheidl Christina Buelow Christina Buelow Mike Ronan Niall Connolly Paul Groves Donna Marie-Audas Colin Creighton Marcus Sheaves Marcus Sheaves |
| author_sort | Nathan J. Waltham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Managers are moving toward implementing large-scale coastal ecosystem restoration projects, however, many fail to achieve desired outcomes. Among the key reasons for this is the lack of integration with a whole-of-catchment approach, the scale of the project (temporal, spatial), the requirement for on-going costs for maintenance, the lack of clear objectives, a focus on threats rather than services/values, funding cycles, engagement or change in stakeholders, and prioritization of project sites. Here we critically assess the outcomes of activities in three coastal wetland complexes positioned along the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon, Australia, that have been subjected to restoration investment over a number of decades. Each floodplain has been modified by intensive agricultural production, heavy industry and mining infrastructure, urban/peri urban expansion, aquaculture development and infrastructure expansion. Most development has occurred in low-lying coastal floodplains, resulting in major hydrological modifications to the landscape. This has left the floodplain wetlands in a degraded and hydrologically modified state, with poor water quality (hypoxic, eutrophication, sedimentation, and persistent turbidity), loss of habitat, and disconnected because of flow hydraulic barriers, excessive aquatic plant growth, or establishment of invasive species. Successful GBR wetland ecosystem restoration and management first requires an understanding of what constitutes “success” and must be underpinned by an understanding of complex cause and effect pathways, with a focus on management of services and values. This approach should recognize that these wetlands are still assets in a modified landscape. Suitable, long term, scientific knowledge is necessary to provide government and private companies with the confidence and comfort that their investment delivers dividend (environmental) returns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:04:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-783534e06b1648daa792eb8ef0fd9035 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:04:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-783534e06b1648daa792eb8ef0fd90352022-12-21T20:36:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452019-02-01610.3389/fmars.2019.00071440038Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier ReefNathan J. Waltham0Nathan J. Waltham1Damien Burrows2Carla Wegscheidl3Christina Buelow4Christina Buelow5Mike Ronan6Niall Connolly7Paul Groves8Donna Marie-Audas9Colin Creighton10Marcus Sheaves11Marcus Sheaves12Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaScience for Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management, School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaCentre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaRural Economic Development, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaCentre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaScience for Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management, School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaDepartment of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaRural Economic Development, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaGreat Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Government, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaGreat Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Government, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaCentre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaCentre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaScience for Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management, School of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaManagers are moving toward implementing large-scale coastal ecosystem restoration projects, however, many fail to achieve desired outcomes. Among the key reasons for this is the lack of integration with a whole-of-catchment approach, the scale of the project (temporal, spatial), the requirement for on-going costs for maintenance, the lack of clear objectives, a focus on threats rather than services/values, funding cycles, engagement or change in stakeholders, and prioritization of project sites. Here we critically assess the outcomes of activities in three coastal wetland complexes positioned along the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon, Australia, that have been subjected to restoration investment over a number of decades. Each floodplain has been modified by intensive agricultural production, heavy industry and mining infrastructure, urban/peri urban expansion, aquaculture development and infrastructure expansion. Most development has occurred in low-lying coastal floodplains, resulting in major hydrological modifications to the landscape. This has left the floodplain wetlands in a degraded and hydrologically modified state, with poor water quality (hypoxic, eutrophication, sedimentation, and persistent turbidity), loss of habitat, and disconnected because of flow hydraulic barriers, excessive aquatic plant growth, or establishment of invasive species. Successful GBR wetland ecosystem restoration and management first requires an understanding of what constitutes “success” and must be underpinned by an understanding of complex cause and effect pathways, with a focus on management of services and values. This approach should recognize that these wetlands are still assets in a modified landscape. Suitable, long term, scientific knowledge is necessary to provide government and private companies with the confidence and comfort that their investment delivers dividend (environmental) returns.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00071/fullestuariesfloodplainsrestorationfisherieswater qualityconnectivity |
| spellingShingle | Nathan J. Waltham Nathan J. Waltham Damien Burrows Carla Wegscheidl Christina Buelow Christina Buelow Mike Ronan Niall Connolly Paul Groves Donna Marie-Audas Colin Creighton Marcus Sheaves Marcus Sheaves Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef Frontiers in Marine Science estuaries floodplains restoration fisheries water quality connectivity |
| title | Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef |
| title_full | Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef |
| title_fullStr | Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef |
| title_short | Lost Floodplain Wetland Environments and Efforts to Restore Connectivity, Habitat, and Water Quality Settings on the Great Barrier Reef |
| title_sort | lost floodplain wetland environments and efforts to restore connectivity habitat and water quality settings on the great barrier reef |
| topic | estuaries floodplains restoration fisheries water quality connectivity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00071/full |
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