my ESS blog journal!.: Is the great barrier reef under threat from the flooding in Queensland...?

The floods in Queensland are being called 'the worst natural disaster in Australia's history'.

the death toll stands at sixteen.

there are 28 people currently reported missing.

However the immediate threat is not just to Queensland.

The Great Barrier reef is reportedly also under threat from the flooding.

Scientists are beginning to worry about the coral, as it now seems to be under threat.

A great deal of sediment has already been deposited by the burdekin river into waters at the southern area of the reef.

The sediment contains both pesticides and fertilizers, the potential effect of this is dead coral.

Research shows that increased levels of nutrients and sediment can greatly reduce coral diversity and could increase the seaweed cover on the inshore reefs.

These floods are not the first to threaten the reef.

Floods in recent years along the burdekin river has led to a substantial increase in starfish populations, that can overtake reefs. The population outbursts all coincide with flooding, and this coral eating starfishes are by far the greatest source of coral mortality.

The increased nutrients from floods in recent years has led to something called 'algae bloom' which is causing the water to change from brown to green.

Another effect of increased sediment deposition is it effects sea-grass, which could consequently starve out other marine life, and lead to stress events that would also cause the coral to die.

It is too early to be able to predict to what extent the flooding will effect the reef, but it is guaranteed the results will be disastrous nonetheless. This event has the potential to affect everything, the food web, it could shift how the entire reef functions.