Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program: flood plume monitoring annual report 2010-11: incorporating results from the Extreme Weather Response Program flood plume monitoring

Abstract

The Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (herein referred to as the MMP) undertaken in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon assesses the long-term effectiveness of the Australian and Queensland Government's Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) and the Australian Government's Reef Rescue initiative. The MMP was established in 2005 to help assess the long-term status and health of GBR ecosystems and is a critical component in the assessment of regional water quality as land management practices are improved across GBR catchments. The program forms an integral part of the Reef Plan Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program (P2R program) supported through Reef Plan and Reef Rescue. This report details the sampling that has taken place under the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program: Terrestrial discharge into the Great Barrier Reef (project 3.7.2b) for the 2010-11 sampling year, led by James Cook University (JCU).