Over het archief
Het OWA, het open archief van het Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium heeft tot doel alle vrij toegankelijke onderzoeksresultaten van dit instituut in digitale vorm aan te bieden. Op die manier wil het de zichtbaarheid, verspreiding en gebruik van deze onderzoeksresultaten, alsook de wetenschappelijke communicatie maximaal bevorderen.
Dit archief wordt uitgebouwd en beheerd volgens de principes van de Open Access Movement, en het daaruit ontstane Open Archives Initiative.
Basisinformatie over ‘Open Access to scholarly information'.
| one publication added to basket [362115] |
Quantifying the environmental impact of a major coal mine project on the adjacent Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
Saint-Amand, A.; Grech, A.; Choukroun, S.; Hanert, E. (2022). Quantifying the environmental impact of a major coal mine project on the adjacent Great Barrier Reef ecosystems. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 179: 113656. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113656
In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. Macmillan: London. ISSN 0025-326X; e-ISSN 1879-3363, meer
|  |
| Trefwoorden |
|
| Author keywords |
Great Barrier Reef; Coal mine; Sediments; Environmental footprint; Seagrass; High-resolution ocean model |
| Auteurs | | Top |
- Saint-Amand, A., meer
- Grech, A.
- Choukroun, S.
- Hanert, E., meer
|
|
|
| Abstract |
A major coal mine project in Queensland, Australia, is currently under review. It is planned to be located about 10 km away from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). Sediment dispersal patterns and their impact on marine ecosystems have not been properly assessed yet. Here, we simulate the dispersal of different sediment types with a high-resolution ocean model, and derive their environmental footprint. We show that sediments finer than 32 μm could reach dense seagrass meadows and a dugong sanctuary within a few weeks. The intense tidal circulation leads to non-isotropic and long-distance sediment dispersal patterns along the coast. Our results suggest that the sediments released by this project will not be quickly mixed but rather be concentrated where the most valuable ecosystems are located. If accepted, this coal mine could therefore have a far-reaching impact on the GBRWHA and its iconic marine species. |
IMIS is ontwikkeld en wordt gehost door het VLIZ.
