| |
|
|
Pesticides: A Key Concern for the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system. It covers an area of 133,000 square miles and is composed of 2,900 reefs and 900 islands.
Pollution and declining water quality are a couple of key threats faced by the Great Barrier Reef. In 2009 a pesticide monitoring program collected samples at eleven sites; at least two pesticides were detected at every site. Diuron, atrazine, and metolachlor exceeded Australian and New Zealand water quality guidelines at eight sites.
Over 90% of this pollution comes from farm runoff which is caused by over grazing, excessive fertilizer and pesticide use.
|
 |
|
Click for the full article
|
|
|
|
|