New Research by Australian Scientists: Groundwater Pollutants May Harm the Ecological Environment of the Great Barrier Reef

Tech 2023-10-12 23:51:28 Source: Network

Recently, a new study in Australia has shown that a large amount of pollutants that seep into groundwater through the surface are flowing into the ocean, and the resulting pollution may endanger the ecological environment of the Great Barrier Reef.A new study by scientists from the University of Southern Cross, the Australian Organization for Marine Scientific Research and Industrial Research, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has demonstrated the harm of groundwater pollution to the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem

Recently, a new study in Australia has shown that a large amount of pollutants that seep into groundwater through the surface are flowing into the ocean, and the resulting pollution may endanger the ecological environment of the Great Barrier Reef.

A new study by scientists from the University of Southern Cross, the Australian Organization for Marine Scientific Research and Industrial Research, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has demonstrated the harm of groundwater pollution to the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. Research shows that nearly one-third of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and two-thirds of dissolved inorganic phosphorus in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef come from groundwater. One of the authors of the study, Professor Damian Mach of Southern Cross University, stated that the amount of nitrogen flowing into the ocean from groundwater is twice that of surface rivers.

The researchers sampled seawater and analyzed the radium isotopes in the samples. Through isotope labeling, researchers have determined the route of pollutants reaching coral reefs. Dr. Douglas Tate, a coastal water chemistry expert at Southern Cross University and the main author of the study, stated that the process of pollutants reaching coral reefs from the surface takes decades. Pollutants may seep into underground aquifers through cracks and gaps in rocks beneath the surface soil, then flow into underwater springs, and finally reach coral reefs.

Dr. Tate introduced that excess nutrients in seawater may lead to the proliferation of algal organisms, leading to a sharp increase in the number of starfish that feed on coral and causing fish diseases. The study emphasizes that current environmental protection strategies need to be transformed. We need further discussion on the management of these nutrients. Only by better understanding the processes that generate pollution can we better manage it, "Tate said.

Under the influence of climate crisis and water pollution, the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef is in jeopardy. Previously, scientists from United Nations agencies said that the Great Barrier Reef might be included in the endangered The World Heritage List. The local government and relevant institutions have been committed to improving the water quality of surface runoff in order to alleviate the bleaching phenomenon of coral reefs.

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